Not Myself
by secrethalfblood
Summary: Son of Aphrodite Cassian Holt and daughter of Hades Evelyn Blake are on two sides of the camp social structure, Olympian and Underworld Gods. His life is charmed but with a cruel twist of fate, his friends abandon him and the handsome, popular demigod loses everything. Cassian will have to go to the head of the camp misfits as the only one who can help him.
1. Chapter 1

Epov

I disarmed the Ares boy and tackled him. His hulking figure crashed to the floor of the arena, and I held the blade of my sword to his throat.

"And that's match." I said smirking, pushing myself off the ground and holding out a hand to help him up, but his dark eyes narrowed and he slapped my hand away.

"Don't touch me Underfreak." He said furiously, pushing himself up on his own and brushing the dirt off his armor.

"Have it your way." I said shrugging, turning, and walking back to my friends who were all smirking.

"Nice work, Ev," my best friend Micah said with a grin and giving me a high five. He looked over my shoulder his eyes glittering mischievously. "Guess you put Broderick in his place."

"He's never liked losing to girls." I agreed turning with a smile to see the all Ares children were glaring at me.

"Then he really must not like you." Micah laughed. "Because you beat him every time."

Micah was the head of the Hecate cabin. He was tall and good looking, with stylish black hair streaked with red, dark skin, and deep blue eyes.

"Yeah, none of them really like me much." I said shrugging and turning back to Micah unconcerned.

Ares was one of the Olympians, and his kids tended to take that pretty seriously. While things had improved immensely for children of the Underworld Gods over the past few years at camp, there were still those that were made uncomfortable by us. Being a daughter of Hades, I tended to push the boundaries of those people a lot more than they liked. Underfreak was their term of endearment for me and my fellow Underworld friends, but mostly me.

At least we had cabins now. That was progress.

"Yeah, well they don't like any of us much." He said shrugging and together we walked back to the group of Underworld campers that had crowded at the Arena entrance.

"Good job Ev." Maya, Micah's girlfriend and a daughter of Nyx, said.

She was short with long black hair and wide brown eyes that were looking at me with admiration.

"Thanks My."

"Yeah you kicked Broderick's butt!" her little brother Sebastian said laughing.

Micah took Maya's hand and the group walked out of the Arena together towards the Dining Pavilion for lunch.

"Don't look now." Micah said his voice low and of course everyone glanced in the direction his head was turned. "But here comes the beautiful people."

To our left was a group of the Aphrodite campers all laughing and talking in rapid French as they too made their way to lunch. Well, they weren't all Aphrodite campers, but most of them were.

Good looking and popular, this was the power squad of the children of the Olympian Gods.

My eyes fell on the most attractive of the group, Cassian Holt. He was tall and tan with stylish dirty blonde hair and light green eyes. He wasn't the head of the Aphrodite cabin, but he might as well have been with the way everyone listened to whatever he said. He too was laughing, they were always laughing, and his arm was around his girlfriend April, a daughter of Apollo. She was pretty with long blonde hair, freckles, and deep blue eyes that were looking up at him in wonder. As if she couldn't believe that he was going out with her. Then again, that was how all his girlfriends had looked at them when he dated them, and he dated plenty.

I was so distracted looking at the group. I didn't see the step leading up into the Pavilion until I'd already tripped over it.

I crashed into the ground, sprawling in front of the tables people were sitting at, bringing the buzz of conversation that presided over them to a screeching halt.

"Freak alert." Someone muttered as several people started to clap. I let out a sigh and let my head fall on to my arms. The whole camp had seen that…

"Smooth," Micah said laughing and helping me up.

"That hurt." I muttered rubbing my elbow that had slammed into the ground.

"Are you alright?" Bethany, a redhead from the Hypnos cabin, asked anxiously as I dusted myself off.

"I'm fine." I said with another sigh trying to ignore the snickers that continued to follow me as I walked farther down the rows of tables.

It was only my pride that had been stung.

I glanced over at Cassian's group, who'd walked in behind us, to see they were all talking about what had just happened. His eyes met mine, and he was grinning slightly, it was obvious he'd seen the entire thing.

Feeling more embarrassed, I said goodbye to my friends, and made my way to my table.

Being the only child of Hades, and the only current child of one of the Big Three, I was always alone at meals.

I didn't mind it, not really, but it did kind of suck when I saw everyone else laughing with their siblings while I sat on my own. As much as I told myself I fit in with the other Underworld kids, the fact is, I was still a bit of an outsider. I was so much more powerful than the rest of them. While they were my friends, sometimes I felt like the saw me as more of a leader, than a companion.

'There are worse problems to have.' I thought dropping a fork into the shadow of my glass and catching it under the shade of the table where I had made it travel. 'At least you have friends.'

Most of my siblings had had it way worse off than I had when they'd first come to camp. At least I was accepted by some people here. That was a lot better than the children of Hades had had it in the past, and if I played my cards right, didn't upset too many people, or freaked out too many campers with my powers, I could make it better for future kids like me. And all my friends. I just had to keep my head down, keep my powers under control, and most importantly, not do anything to scare the Olympian campers.

I glanced over at the other tables, all eyes averting their gaze when they met mine. All except one.

Cassian had noticed me looking in his direction.

He raised an eyebrow but unlike the rest of the campers, he didn't look away. He smirked a little, clearly amused that I was staring and I found it was my turn to divert my attention.

Cassian wasn't like the other Olympian campers in his little power squad. He didn't seem to hate me and I had no idea why.

'Just keep your head down.' I thought refusing to look away from my hands resting on the table in front of me. 'Keep your head down. And everything will be fine.'

Though he didn't hate me, I knew I had to stay off his radar. Cassian was the opposite of a 'head down' personality. The last thing I needed was getting caught up with a person like him.

Cpov

"I swear she's such a spaz." Broderick muttered as Evelyn went to sit at her table, clearly trying not to look embarrassed after her fall and failing.

"A spaz you can't beat in the arena." I said and everyone laughed as he shot me a dirty look.

He glanced at April next to me before saying, "Shut up Cass." Sounding mortified.

He threw Evelyn a glare she didn't see, but kept his mouth shut which was probably a good thing. No need to start trouble for no reason.

Personally, I didn't see why our group of friends disliked her so much. She'd never done anything to us, in fact, she'd been nothing but polite to pretty much everyone in camp. Well, when she wasn't destroying them in the Arena.

I guess their main issue with her was that she was sort of in charge of the band of misfits at camp our group just loved to hate. I didn't quite understand it. I mean, who cared if their parents were from the Underworld? But I knew I could never express that view around these people. It would get me kicked out of this circle for sure, I'd be labeled an Underfreak lover, or something like that and they'd make sure anyone who mattered wouldn't talk to me.

"I'm just saying." I said innocently and Broderick continued to look annoyed.

I knew Broderick didn't like me very much. He'd had a crush on April for forever and didn't like that I knew that, and had gone out with her anyways. But what was I supposed to do? Not ask her out? She was pretty and she liked me. If I had to limit who I could date based on who other people liked, I would have a very limited selection. Crushes and infatuation spread like wildfire around camp, helped along by my cabin of course, but that was beside the point. People were fickle anyways. He'd probably move on and find some other girl to go after in a few weeks. I always did.

"Who cares how good she is in the Arena?" My sister Angela said with a frown. She was the head of our cabin, blonde and beautiful, as so many of my siblings were. Her light blue eyes were narrowed with distaste as she looked over Evelyn. "Just look at her fashion sense. I mean, it's bad enough the camp shirts are orange and we have to look at that all day, but she can't even stick to that."

Evelyn never wore the camp t shirt that most of the demigods did during activities. Instead, she usually wore dark t shirts, with some sort of band name on them, black skinny jeans that were always ripped, and combat boots that looked like they'd seen a lot of action, which they probably had. Being the most powerful demigod in camp, she must have attracted a lot of monsters when she was outside the boundaries, and seeing as she was always sent on the most grueling missions, she was gone a lot.

"You know, I don't think someone like Evelyn has a lot of time to think about fashion Ang." I said amused.

"Well she should." Angela said stubbornly as some of the others started to filter off towards the tables to start lunch. "I mean she's not completely hopeless in the looks department. She'd actually be sort of pretty if she put in a little effort."

I frowned at this, not really sure what to say.

Evelyn _was_ pretty, in her own sort of way. She was average height for a girl, with long jet black hair and dark eyes that hid her emotions unless she was in combat. She was thin, but in a wiry sort of way, seeing as she was so strong from training in the arena. She had cunning features, that I knew would intimidate some people, but they didn't intimidate me. People generally didn't intimidate me. That was one of the advantages of being an attractive person. Usually, you were the one making others nervous.

"Ugh, I don't know why we're talking about the Underfreak anyways." Angela continued sourly. "Let's change the subject."

"Hey, I'm going to go." April said gesturing towards the table her siblings were at, and I noticed she looked a little uncomfortable. April hadn't really hung out much with my group of friends before we'd started dating, she'd talked to Broderick in the Arena a few times, but other than that, she'd never really spent that much time around us. I got the feeling she didn't quite like the hostility shown towards the camper's whose parents belonged to the Underworld, but knew she didn't want to start a fight by bringing it up.

"Alright." I said and she gave me a hopeful smile.

"I'll see you later?"

"Sure." I shrugged and she beamed at me.

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and jogged over to her siblings and I noticed Angela give me a shrewd look.

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic." She accused and the friends that were left gave me an interested look.

I shrugged again but Angela continued to press.

"Are you going to break up with her?"

"Not right now."

"Why not?" Darren, a boy from the Athena cabin asked.

"Who else would I go out with?"

"So you're just going to lead her on?" Broderick asked angrily. "Do you even like her?"

"She's pretty." I said mildly and he let out a frustrated noise.

"Gods you're a prick Holt." He spat and then stormed off to his table, no doubt to swap battle stories with his siblings until he felt better.

"What's his problem?" I asked looking at Angela as the others said their goodbyes and we started walking towards our table as well.

"You shouldn't antagonize Broderick," Angela said reprovingly. "You know he really likes her."

"So?" I asked. I'd dated plenty of girls that Broderick had liked over the past few years, he always got over it.

"So you should be more respectful of people's feelings." She chided. "And that goes for April too. I think Broderick's right. If you don't like her, don't lead her on."

"I never said I didn't like her." I said shrugging and she rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean Cass." She said sounding a little exasperated. "All this heart breaking is going to catch up with you some day. I love you, but Broderick's right. You can be a bit of a jerk sometimes."

"If I'm such a jerk, why do I have so many friends then?" I asked grinning. "Why wouldn't people just avoid the oh-so-jerk-like Cassian Holt?"

"Because you're too damn good looking." She said with a slight laugh. "And you know it. You know people are too busy staring at your pretty boy face, to be listening what's coming out of your smart mouth."

"Look I don't even know why Broderick's complaining. He'll get his chance to ask her out. When I break up with her, all he has to do is be her shoulder to cry on. He'll get her on the rebound, it's that simple. In fact, one might even say I'm helping him. There's no way she would have gone out with him while she was still holding out hopes for me."

"Gods you really are a jerk." She said shaking her head and taking a seat opposite me.

I felt a pair of eyes on me, and looked up to see Evelyn looking in our direction.

I felt an eyebrow rise and a familiar smirk making their way across my features as interest peaked within me. Her expression was impossible to read and she looked away, but my eyes lingered on her, wondering what was going on in her mind. I didn't get an answer however, as Angela called my attention back to her.

"I mean don't you care how others feel at all?"

"No." I said shrugging and looking away from Evelyn to focus on Angela. "People don't care about my feelings, just how I look. So why should I care about theirs?"

"Well that's sweet." She said sarcastically.

We continued to debate the pros and cons of me breaking up with April for the next ten minutes, when our table was approached a tall girl with fiery red hair, tied back in braids, and pale blue eyes that looked a little anxious as they settled on Angela and I.

"What's up Mandy?" I asked. She was the head of the Athena cabins and was one of the few girls in my age range at camp that I'd never imagined dating. It's not that she wasn't pretty. Mandy was too smart of all the games that I usually had to employ to win over girls. Plus, she had a boyfriend. I might be willing to date a lot of people, but I never messed with an existing relationship.

"I need your guys' help." She said still looking worried and I frowned. It took a lot to ruffle Mandy, she was one of those calm and collected type, almost scarily so. It was what made her such a good battle strategist, her team almost always won in capture the flag.

"What happened?" Angela asked in concern, obviously picking up on Mandy's trepidation as well.

"Well, one of my brothers, a few of them actually, got in to it with a kid from the Hecate cabin earlier this morning." I felt my stomach sink, and Angela winced as Mandy continued. "They roughed him up pretty bad from the sounds of it, and you know who the head of their cabin is. Who he's friends with."

"Evelyn wouldn't do anything." I said shaking my head.

"Not right now she wouldn't. But we're on opposite teams this week for capture the flag." Mandy said anxiously. "And you know what that means."

While fighting was supposed to be controlled and confined to training areas like the woods and the Arena, capture the flag was a special case. Every week each cabin's best used their abilities with almost no hold backs, and things got pretty brutal, and with Evelyn's powers…

"I wouldn't put it past Micah to convince her to target them in the game." Mandy continued. "You know how protective he is of his siblings."

"What was the fight about?" I asked and she shrugged.

"Dunno, I think it was over a weapon, but that's not the point."

"What do you want us to do?" Angela asked.

"Convince her not go after them, before she makes any promises to Micah. Use your Charmspeak if you have to."

"Nope." Angela said holding up her hands and shaking her head. "No. I am not going to try and Charmspeak the Underfreak."

"But-" Mandy started, but Angela cut her off.

"Do you know how hard it is to charm powerful demigods?" Angela asked narrowing her eyes at Mandy. "Let alone a child of one of the Big Three? Not happening." She shook her head again. "If you want someone to help you, try Cass." I felt my stomach tighten slightly, but I was careful to keep my expression neutral. "He usually gets the best results with the Princess of Darkness anyways."

This was true. It wasn't often, but occasionally, we needed to make deals with the Underworld campers. Usually to avoid fighting in situations like this, and I was generally the one who was told to work it out with Evelyn. I wasn't exactly sure when this working relationship between her and I started, but it seemed to work fairly well. Maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by her like the others were. I was more used to being around her. I knew her better.

I glanced at Mandy who was looking at me anxiously, as if nervous about my answer.

"Sure." I said with a shrug, working to control the smile that was threatening to cross my features. "I'll talk to Evelyn for you. But what's in it for me?"

She hesitated before answering.

"I'll get the Ares cabin to do your guys' chores for a week. They owe me a favor."

"Make it two."

"There's no way they'd agree to that."

"Then I guess I'm not talking to Evelyn." I said with a shrug and returning to my breakfast, knowing she'd cave.

"Alright fine." She said sounding irritated and I smirked. "Two weeks."

"Great." I said grinning at her.

She glowered in response and pointed a finger at me.

"But that's only if she agrees to leave them alone during the game, alright?"

"Don't worry." I said easily waving this away. "She will."

She gave me one last suspicious expression before turning and walking back to her table.

"That's a tall order to fill." Angela said looking at me from over her orange juice as she took a sip "You sure you can get her to agree not to go after the Athena kids?" she glanced at Evelyn for a moment then back to me. "Micah is her best friend, and he is not going to be happy about this."

"It'll be fine." I said, unconcerned.

"Oh yeah?" she asked skeptically. "And how do you know that?"

"Because I'm charming." I said winking at a girl at the Ares table. She blushed and looked away, and I felt myself smirk. "All the ladies love me."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews! Sorry it's taken so long to update this story. Hope you like the next chapter!

~Secrethalfblood

Epov

"I can't stand these Olympian campers!" Micah said furiously as together, we walked towards the infirmary in the Big House. It was free time and we were going to check on one of his little brothers who'd been involved in a fight this morning and had gotten pretty roughed up. "They think they can do whatever they want to us just because their parents live in a shiny cloud city and because of that, they get to treat us like dirt!"

"Well, he did use magic against them." I pointed out.

"He's twelve years old Ev!" he continued, just as angry. "They're our age. Would you ever think, gosh, I as a seventeen year old, should attack a twelve year old kid?"

"No, but I'm just saying Evan is not blameless."

"Maybe not." Micah conceded. "But they took it way too far."

We reached the porch of the Big House where several of our friends were waiting, also going to see how Micah's little brother was doing.

Just as we all were about to go inside, a voice called.

"Hey Evelyn, can I talk to you for a second?"

"What a surprise," Micah snarled when he spotted the tall, handsome boy jogging towards us. "Damage control."

"Hey at least they're trying to work things out." I said quietly before looking back at Cassian and saying. "Yeah."

I walked out to meet him as the others went inside.

He stopped just a few feet short of me.

"Afternoon Ev," he greeted me in a cheerful tone I found suspicious.

He gave me a convincing, good natured smile, but I was having none of it.

"Cass." I said evenly.

"You look lovely today."

"Right." I said glancing down at my pale skin that was reflecting the afternoon sunlight so bright, it was almost painful to look at. The scars from my countless monster battles stood out in vivid contrast. I knew I didn't look good in the summer. I was more of a winter/fall kind of girl. "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I want anything?" he asked innocently and I scowled.

Cassian was the message runner from the Olympian kids. He only talked to me when they wanted something.

"You _always_ want something."

"Alright, fair point." He agreed and I crossed my arms over my chest. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Spit it out then."

"Well judging by your cheerful friend's expression when he spotted me," he glanced at the Big House where Micah and our friends had gone, then back to me. "You already know what I'm here about."

"Evan?"

"Exactly."

"What does this have to do with you?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well," he said smoothly in the tone I'd come to recognize as 'negotiation' voice. "I know you, and I know you don't want to involve yourself in anything nasty."

"Then why are you here?" I asked. I tried to ignore the charm in his words, attempting to focus on their meaning, refusing to be brought under the Aphrodite spell.

"Some people, who shall remain nameless, think your friend might try to convince you otherwise."

It was my turn to glance at the Big House.

"Micah is plenty powerful," I said keeping my tone controlled. "He doesn't need my help. If he wanted to make the Athena campers pay he could on his own."

"Think you could convince him to cool his guns?" he asked. "They think he's going to have you target the Athena campers in the next capture the flag game. I'm sure they'd be in just as much dangerous if Micah and his cabin were after them during the game."

I thought for a minute, considering.

"Probably," I said eventually. "But why should I?"

As much as I wanted to avoid conflict, letting the other campers walk all over us was a dangerous precedent to set. It was just burying the problem under the rug until it became too big to ignore, inciting a much bigger problem later on. In my opinion, it was better they fight it out now.

He smiled, as if expecting this question.

"Why don't we get out of the sun?" he asked nodding to the porch of the Big House. "Don't want your pretty skin to burn."

He reached up to touch my cheek but I caught his wrist and pushed it away.

"Don't change the subject Cassian." I said, but walking towards the porch knowing he had a point. I did burn easily.

"Can I bet honest with you Ev?" he asked putting an arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the Big House.

I tried to push him off, but he kept it there.

"I like you." he continued pulling me closer and I felt uncomfortable. "I know how hard you work to keep the peace between your friends and mine, and I consider you a friend."

A shock went through me when he said this, but was immediately eclipsed by a cloud of suspicion as he continued.

"And as your friend, I think it's important to remind you of the tenuous position your reputation is in."

"Is that so?" I asked mildly, but stomach had dropped through the floor.

He nodded.

"Now _I_ know you're harmless," he said emphasizing the word, his tone persuasive. "But you can't deny not everyone in camp is thrilled about having a child of Hades roaming around. You tend to make people a bit _uncomfortable_." He said this casually, but I felt my anxiety go up a notch. "And while we here at camp appreciate all the help you've given us on missions and quests, just how easy do you think it would be to destroy all that progress if there were to be an unfortunate incident with the Athena campers?"

"You already know I'm not going to go after them."

"Yes, but if you don't, Micah probably will."

"So?"

"So, the Athena cabin won't take that lightly. They'll go after him too, and then you do get involved." He pointed out and I looked up at him. "And if that does happen," he continued delicately. "Just how quickly do you think the camp will turn on you when they're exposed to your scary Underworld powers?"

My heart rate increased at the thought of what that could mean, but I tried to remain calm. I didn't want him to know he'd gotten to me.

This was something I hated about Cassian, he seemed to know exactly what places to attack, to chip away at my insecurities. He almost always got what he wanted from me.

"Fine." I said managing to push him off this time and he smirked. "I'll try to talk Micah out of retaliating."

"I thought you'd see it my way."

There was something about his smug expression however, that made anger shoot through me. I was cornered and he knew it, and a part of him was enjoying it.

Without thinking, I grabbed his shirt, stepped back into my shadow and the world around us went cold and dark. There was a rushing sensation and we reappeared in the forest, my sword blade at his throat as I stood behind him. We were alone and he was unarmed.

"Just a reminder of what my 'scary Underworld' powers can do." I said letting go of his shirt and pushing him away. "In case you start making a habit of blackmailing me."

He looked shocked for a second as I glared at him, but after he recovered, he laughed.

"Alright. I get the point."

I looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he was laughing. I'd been hoping to intimidate him.

"You realize that I might be able to stop Micah from retaliating this time, but that doesn't solve everything." I said fixing him with a calculated gaze. "He's going to want some sort of retribution. If we don't get something, I won't be able to keep them calm for long. They'll want something in return."

"I know." He said easily. "But don't worry your pretty little head over it. I'll take care of it."

I felt an eyebrow rise.

"What's your plan?"

He didn't answer my question, just smiled his usual amused smile when he got what he wanted.

"See you around Ev." He said in a knowing tone.

I watched him walk out of the woods wondering what was wrong with him as I remembered his reaction to shadow traveling. Who in their right mind would look the daughter of death in the eye and laugh? Not even my friends did that when I was angry.

"Weirdo." I muttered stepping into the nearest shadow and within seconds I was in the Big House.

I stepped into the infirmary to see several of my friends crowded around Evan's bed. He was a tiny kid, with blonde hair and green eyes. One of them was swollen shut, and he was covered in cuts and bruises.

I felt anger spark within me and my hands ball into fists, but it died when he turned to me.

"Hey Ev." He said weakly and a swell of pity went through me.

Who in their right mind would go after Evan? He was so small.

"Hey Evan," I said quietly sitting on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Terrible."

"Who did this to you?"

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, including Micah's. He was standing across the bed from me, and I knew they were all waiting to see what I would do.

"Who do you think?" Micah spat through gritted teeth.

"Rob and Caden." Evan said quietly, looking nervous as I thought.

"What are you going to do?" Bethany asked.

Their stares grew heavier on me and I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I knew they expected me to do something, we couldn't let this go unchecked but Cassian was right. If I retaliated, I'd be making things a million times worse.

"I'm going to talk to them." I said eventually wincing as Micah nearly exploded with anger.

" _Talk_?" he asked furiously. "Talk? Are you kidding me Ev? After what they-"

"If we retaliate, we're only going to make things worse." I said cutting him off and his eyes narrowed.

"This isn't you talking." He said. "This has Holt written all over it. What did Pretty Boy say?"

"It doesn't matter what he said," I retorted feeling a little angry myself. Angry at Micah for expecting me to be the muscle behind his threats, but also at the situation I was in. There was no way to win. "What matters is he's right. Things between us and the other campers are bad enough as it. Do you really want to start a fight?"

"You know, I really do." Micah growled and a flash of resentment went through me.

"Well I don't." I said indignantly standing from the bed and glaring at him. "If you think things are bad are now, how much worse do you think things will be if we go after other campers? If even more people start taking sides."

The camp lived in a tenuous peace at the moment, with the Underworld campers, the Olympian campers, and those who didn't want to get themselves involved. But I knew the second one side made a serious move that peace would break, and the entire camp would be divided. I wasn't sure how many supporters we would get if Micah got his way, and I went around terrifying people with my powers.

"So you're just going to let them do this to us?" he asked gesturing towards Evan. "They get to attack us and all you want to do is _talk_?"

The others' eyes darted back and forth between Micah as we spoke, but our argument was cut short when the infirmary door opened and I was surprised to see Mandy walk through it.

"What are you doing here?" Micah asked harshly but she ignored him, and looked at me.

"Here." She said handing me a jagged dagger that she pulled from her belt.

It was a vicious looking thing, made of celestial bronze and tapered to lethal point, and while it meant little to me, I saw Evan sit up quickly in his bed.

Mandy glanced nervously around the room and quickly exited. I saw there was a note wrapped around the handle, which looked as if it were made out of the horn of some type of monster.

I opened the paper and saw neat handwriting.

Ugly looking thing, isn't it? Told you not to worry.

I honestly don't understand why people are always fighting over weapons.

Hope this is enough "retribution" for your cheerful friend.

Hopefully this makes things easier for you.

~Cass

P.S. I hope you don't keep this thing, your weapon should be as pretty as you.

"No way." Evan said excitedly as I frowned at the blade, then looked at him. "You got it from them?"

"Got what? This?" I asked holding up the dagger and he nodded eagerly. "What is it?"

"It's what we were fighting over." He said clearly referencing this morning, and holding out his hand for the weapon.

I passed it to him as he explained.

"It's enchanted." He said brightly, "It increases intellect in combat."

"Well I guess that explains why the Athena campers wanted it." Micah muttered.

"How'd you get them to give it back?" Evan asked looking at me in wonder and I looked back at the note.

"I didn't. It was Cassian."

"Pretty Boy?" Micah asked in disbelief and several of the others looked just as confused. "Why would he do that?"

I shrugged, but my mind traveled back to the note, about how he'd said he'd hope this would make things easier for me. As if he'd known just how tough of a spot I'd been in.

"Guess he just wanted to help." I said and I heard Micah mutter.

"Yeah. Right." Sarcastically.

I put the paper in my back pocket and looked back at Evan.

"Are you going to be alright?" I asked and he nodded, too busy inspecting the dagger and showing it to the others to bother responding with words.

"Good," I continued and glanced at my watch. I was supposed to be at the climbing wall in about five minutes. "I'll see you guys later."

A few people nodded and I made my way towards the front of the Big House.

As I stepped off the porch, I saw Cassian had made it out of the woods, and was talking to a pretty girl from the Iris cabin, looking far too familiar with her than a boy with a girlfriend probably should have been. He put his arm around her shoulders, and I had a mental flash back to when he'd put it around mine earlier.

"I know he's got a new girlfriend every week, but that's not his girlfriend, is it?" asked a voice and I jumped in surprise. I turned to see that Micah had walked out behind me.

"No." I agreed and he looked annoyed.

"I don't know how any girl falls for his act." He shook his head looking at the pair with his eyes narrowed. "He's such a schmooze."

I didn't respond, I was too busy thinking about what he'd said to me earlier.

He'd said he'd considered me a friend. Of course, I didn't believe it. It was obviously just a negotiation tactic to try and get what he wanted out of me but still. Part of me wanted to believe he hadn't been lying. He was one of the few people that didn't belong to our little Underworld circle and actually talked to me. I mean, even if it was usually to get something out of me, that was still more than most other people would dare do.

Still… I thought about what he'd said in his note, about making things easier for me. He didn't have to convince the Athena boys to give up their weapon. He could have been content with just letting me deal with my friends. He didn't have to send an olive branch.

"I mean, how could any girl believe anything he says?" Micah continued. "All he does is use people, especially girls."

"Yeah." I agreed a little half-heartedly, but it was enough to keep the rant going.

"I can't believe someone like him calls the shots around here." He said indignantly. "When are people going to wake up and realize he's nothing but a pretty face. He's an arrogant, selfish-"

I tuned out Micah's tirade, letting my mind wander as we continued to walk. Yes, what Micah was saying was true. Cassian wasn't exactly what I would call a good person, but he was only one in the Olympian group of campers who didn't hate us, and he wasn't afraid to talk to us, which was more than could be said for most of the camp even if they didn't actively show us dislike. That had to count for something, didn't it?


	3. Chapter 3

Cpov

I had to call in a lot of favors and charm several people in order to convince the Athena boys to give up their weapon. Personally, I thought it was a bit stupid for everyone to get so worked up over a dagger, but I'd never really been that interested in combat. I usually left it to the Ares campers.

"So," Mandy said cornering me the next day at breakfast and giving me an expectant look. "Did you talk to Evelyn?"

"Good morning to you to." I said spearing some pancakes with my fork and putting them on my plate before going to make my offering.

"Don't give me that crap." She said following me and while she looked annoyed, I could tell she was anxious. "Did you talk to her or not?"

"Yes, I talked to her." I said rolling my eyes.

"Well," she demanded. "What did she say?"

"Your brothers will be fine." I said glancing over at the Hades table, but Evelyn hadn't arrived yet. "She's not going after them."

"Good." Mandy said letting out a sigh of relief. "What about Micah? Think the dagger will be enough?"

"It's all under control Mand." I said trying my best not to roll my eyes for a second time. "You know you really should manage your stress better, otherwise you're going to age terribly."

"Could you be any more of a jerk?" she asked sourly and I shrugged.

"Probably."

She made an irritated noise and stormed off, but I was far from caring.

I waited for Angela, who was a few feet behind us and had heard the whole conversation. Together we made our offerings, then walked to our table to eat.

"You're in a bad mood this morning." She observed as we sat across from each other as we always did.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said adding syrup to my pancakes and taking a bite.

"Deny it all you want, but I know why."

I yawned to indicate my lack of interest and while she looked annoyed, she continued.

"Your Dad was supposed to pick you up today."

I put down my fork and glared at her while scrutinized me.

"What's his excuse for ditching you this time?"

"He's got a company retreat," I said not meeting her gaze. "They're sending all the higher ups to Paris."

"So he ditches your birthday plans, just so he can suck up to some cooperate stiffs?" She asked in disbelief.

"They're taking some important clients with them." I muttered shrugging. "He has to be there. It's no big deal."

My Dad was an executive with one of the biggest designer names in the world. He didn't really have much time for a kid so I was one of the few campers in my cabin that lived at Camp year-round. Still, he'd always let me come home a few times a year, Christmas, my birthday, that sort of thing but not lately. He hadn't even called last Christmas, and this was missed birthday number three.

"No big deal?" she almost screeched and several of my siblings looked our way. "Cass, it's your 18th."

"He said he'd make it up to me this Christmas." I said looking at my plate, feeling my hand curl into a fist around my fork.

"Oh yeah, 'cuz that makes it all better." She said sarcastically. "Gods, when is your dad going to get a clue?"

She then let out a shriek, and clutched at her chest when a figure materialized out of nowhere, and started making their way towards the food table.

"Relax." I said with a laugh as Angela took several calming breaths, glaring at Evelyn as she started to make a plate. "It's just Evelyn."

"I _hate_ it when she does that." Angela complained, "It's so creepy."

"I dunno." I said shrugging. "If I could shadow travel, I think I would. It saves time."

"Yeah, we all know you have a thing for the Underfreak." Angela said tartly. "Just try not to make it so obvious, ok?"

"I don't have a thing for Evelyn." I said feeling a frown appear on my face as I studied her. "You know she's not my type."

Evelyn's hair was pulled up into a lazy bun, and already her sword rested on her hip. Unlike most campers, Evelyn didn't fight with a weapon made from celestial bronze. Her dark blade was made of stygian iron with a silver hilt, and she took it with her almost everywhere she went as if she was constantly on alert, expecting an attack.

"Then why are you always so eager to talk to her?" she asked suspiciously. "The others might not notice it, but you can't fool me." Her eyes narrowed. "You practically volunteered to go talk to her for Mandy."

I frowned and looked back at Evelyn, considering the question.

"She amuses me." I said eventually. "You know I like reading people. She's tough. I see it as a challenge negotiating with her."

"You are so weird." Angela muttered, but then suddenly perked up.

"What?" I asked suspiciously, not sure if I trusted the excited gleam in her eyes. "So if your Dad's not picking you up, that means you'll be here for your 18th, right?"

"Yeah." I said warily, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, we should throw a party."

"A party?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She said brightly. "I'll plan the whole thing. I'll get streamers, and all our friends will come over…"

I tuned out her babbling, nodding occasionally and smiling, trying to seem as if I was into the idea. I knew she was just trying to help, but honestly, the last thing I wanted for my birthday was a party. I didn't need a giant reminder that I was still at camp, that my father had left me to go away with some of his office buddies while I spent another year alone.

'You won't be alone.' I reminded myself. 'All your friends are going to be there, Angela said it herself. You've got your siblings.'

I looked down the table where everyone was grinning and talking excitedly, ready for another day at camp.

'It won't be so bad.' I said looking around at the camp tables at large, knowing almost all of these campers would do anything to be invited to my birthday. Well, not all of them.

I glanced at Evelyn, who as usual, was sitting alone.

I amused myself for a moment, wondering what it would take to convince her to come to my party, and if it was in anyway achievable. I would probably have to take some of her friends hostage, and if I was going to do that, I'd probably need the Ares campers help.

I glanced over at the Ares table, to see Broderick and his brother, comparing weapons and no doubt talking smack over who would win in the arena later today during training.

I smirked a little and looked back at Evelyn. She would of course, she always did, and part of me wondered if the Ares boys could keep the hostages from her even if they wanted to.

'I'd rather her be there than Broderick.'

The thought came out of nowhere and was unwelcome. Broderick was my friend and Evelyn, well, she was just someone I sometimes talked to when I needed things. Still… I allowed myself to imagine a party where Broderick wasn't there, always complaining about April and how she'd never like him back, while Angela rolled her eyes and the others talked about something I didn't care about. I knew if I had the choice, I'd probably talk to Evelyn at the party over the others. She at least usually had something interesting to say.

"Cass?"

"Huh?" I asked confused and looking around, I saw people were leaving the Pavilion.

"C'mon, morning activities are about to start." Angela said standing and gesturing for me to follow her.

"Oh." I said shaking my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Right."

"Were you paying attention to anything I said?" she asked grumpily and while I was tempted to tell her the truth, I knew that was a bad idea. Instead, I went with.

"You were talking about my party."

"Oh." She said sounding surprised, clearly not expecting me to know this. "Well alright then." She smiled and looked excited again. "I'll get everything set up for this weekend. It's going to be so great."

"Yeah." I said unenthusiastically but she didn't notice.

We split up for activities and I started making my way to the lake where I was supposed to take some of the younger campers out in the canoes, when April came running up to me.

"Hey." She said brightly standing on tip toe to kiss my cheek.

"Hey." I said a little surprised to see her looking at me so eager, but what she said next clarified.

"I heard your cabin is throwing you a birthday party."

"Oh, yeah." I said shrugging, surprised the information had gotten out so fast and she beamed.

"I hope I'm invited." She said playfully and I smiled automatically, though I really didn't feel it.

"Of course."

"Is it alright if I invite some of my sisters? They're dying to go, and since I know the birthday boy..." she let her sentence hang, her tone hopeful and I felt disappointment seep through me.

She hadn't even asked about my dad.

"Sure." I said wondering if this was all she cared about.

"Great!" she said brightly, lacing her fingers with mine. "Ready to show some of the newbies your skills on the water?"

We were going to the same activity, as soon as we'd started dating she'd signed up for as many of mine as she could.

"Yeah." I said tonelessly, but she didn't seem to notice.

I walked with her, found with each step I took, the worse of a mood I was in. I didn't want to be with April right now. I wanted to be alone.

Epov

"Why'd I agree to let you do this again?" I asked as Maya braided my hair and she laughed, continuing to work.

"Because you're _finally_ getting in touch with your feminine side."

We were sitting in the shade of a giant oak tree by the basketball courts, watching Micah and a few of his siblings play against the Hypnos cabin.

"Gross." I said making a face and she laughed again.

"Aw c'mon." she said tying off the braid and then sitting next to me. "It's not that bad."

"I don't really do girl." I pointed out. "I don't exactly have much time to do my eyeliner when I'm slashing through monsters."

"But you'd look _fabulous_ doing it." she pointed out and I grinned. "Even wonder woman wears a tiara."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you can still be a bad ass and look fierce."

"Right." I said unable to keep a straight face. "Next time I run into the manticore, I'm sure it'll be intimidated by my flawless smoky eye."

"It should be." She said sagely. "Do you know how hard it is to do a smoky eye? I'd be terrified of the woman confident enough to wear it to battle, and if I'd ruined her make up…" she shuddered.

I wasn't sure what to say to this, but was saved the need to respond as something came flying at my head.

Without thinking I sprang into action. I pushed Maya out of the way and my commanded the shadows around me. It solidified into spikes, and the basketball slammed into them. There was a rushing sound as the air escaped through the giant punctures.

"Sorry…" I said awkwardly as several people looked at me in shock and I tried to control my heart rate. I helped Maya off the ground as the shadows dispersed and the deflated ball 'thwumped' to the grass. "Battle reflexes."

Micah recovered first.

"No problem." He said. He picked up the tattered remains and looked around at the players. "Anyone else got a ball?"

Before anyone could answer, a voice shouted.

"Underfreak!"

Immediately the air around the court stiffened, and I saw Maya's eyes narrow.

We all turned to see Broderick and several of his massive siblings walking, well, storming in our direction. They looked angry.

"What do you want?" Micah asked aggressively as weapons came out but I stood and grabbed his shoulder.

"Let me handle this." I muttered and while his jaw set, he backed off.

"You'd better have an explanation." Broderick said, his teeth grinding as I approached them.

Behind me, the others had gathered and I could hear them whispering.

"Explanation for what?"

"The weapons we were going to use for the game this Friday." He snarled gesturing towards the armory while one of his sisters, an aggressive looking girl with dark eyes and short blonde hair, cracked her knuckles. "They're gone. All of them."

"What are you coming to us for?" I asked annoyed. "We didn't take them."

"Like I'd believe that." He spat.

"We didn't take them." I repeated. "And if that's all you came to talk about, then you can leave."

"Not until we get out weapons back." Broderick said stepping offensively close to me. I could see a scar on his eyebrow I'd given him during a capture the flag game a year ago.

"I told you we don't have them." I said standing my ground. "What makes you think we did anything?"

At this he laughed, but it was sarcastic.

"Of course it was you."

"Problem?" a voice asked and we turned to see Cassian walking by with his girlfriend. He was frowning and April looked as if she didn't want to get involved, but his hand was in hers, and he pulled her in our direction as he made his way over to us.

"The Underfreak and her friends here took our weapons." The girl who'd cracked her knuckles said darkly. "And we want them back."

"Why would Evelyn take your weapons?" he asked frowning.

"We didn't." I said glaring at Broderick. "As I was just telling him."

Part of me had to admire Cassian's nerve. He had almost no battle experience, yet he stood here between and furious son of Ares and an irritated daughter of Hades and he didn't seem scared. April was glancing between us looking nervous, but Cassian wasn't phased in the slightest.

"Well," Cassian said shrugging and looking at Broderick. "She said they don't have them."

"And you believe her?" Broderick asked incredulously. "Princess Underfreak?"

Cassian crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I do. And here's a thought." His eyes narrowed. "How about instead of coming over here accusing her. Why don't you ask?" he sounded annoyed. "She said she didn't do it."

"Like she'd tell the truth."

"Have you asked the Hermes cabin?" Cassian asked. "This is exactly the sort of prank they'd find funny."

"Let's speed this up." The Ares girl snapped and without warning she reached out.

Cassian's eyes went wide.

"Vivian, don't-" he started but it was too late.

Maya let out a cry of pain as the girl grabbed her and held a dagger to her throat.

"Talk." She spat.

Micah let out a roar of rage, enchanted fire erupting around his fists, but I was faster.

Fury pouring into my veins, the shadows around us solidified and shot towards the Ares girl. They passed through Maya and wrapped around Vivian who dropped her dagger in shock.

Maya ran back to Micah, and our friends closed around her protectively as the darkness twisted up around Vivian and she looked panicked.

"Get-get it off me!" She said struggling with the shadows, but I simply watched anger burning through me as the temperature around me plummeted.

"Rick!" she shouted. "Help!"

Her siblings raced towards her trying to break her free with no success.

"Leave my friends out of this."

"Ok, we get the point!" Broderick shouted.

I ignored him, and the darkness continued spiraling up her chest, pinning her arms to her side. It climbed up to her neck.

"Someone do something!" she shrieked her eyes wide and I could practically feel the fear radiating from her.

"Evelyn…" Maya said, and while her voice was shaking, there was warning in her tone.

I ignored it.

Several people shouted and Vivian screamed, but just as she was almost enveloped by the darkness completely, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Ev. Stop." Cassian said his voice level, but his eyes met mine, they looked concerned.

I felt the anger in me soften, and uncertainty replaced it. I looked back at Vivian and her siblings who were panicking, still trying to free her from the shadow's hold.

Then, without really meaning to, I let the shadows fall.

Vivian collapsed, and two of her brothers went to check on her, but everyone else was staring at me.

"Maya, are you alright?" I asked and she nodded looking worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What is wrong with you?" Vivian asked her voice shaking as she shivered, tears in her eyes. She was being held up by her brothers, but I felt no pity.

"You want to get to them," I said gesturing toward my friends who looked tense. "You go through me."

"You're a freak!" she shouted her voice continuing to tremble.

"Broderick, get your siblings out of here." Cass said quietly.

Broderick looked as if he wanted to respond, but they exchanged a look and he seemed to reconsider.

"Let's go." He said gruffly, and not one of the Ares campers argued.

They walked away and I watched them, feeling my eyes narrow, but was surprised when Cassian asked.

"You ok Maya?"

I wasn't the only one surprised by this.

"Y-Yeah," she said sounding confused while several of the others, including Micah, gave him suspicious looks.

"What about you?" he asked looking at me. "You going to be alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Alright." He said with a nod then looked uncomfortable as he continued. "Look… don't," he hesitated but pressed on. "Don't do that again."

"Scared?" Micah asked with some satisfaction and Cassian threw him a look of such distain, I was certain he wouldn't need words, but he did speak.

"I'm trying to help you." he snapped. "If Evelyn doesn't keep her powers under control people are going to be more afraid of you guys then they already are and I'm assuming you don't want that."

"We'll manage." Micah snapped but Cassian ignored him. He looked at me.

"Next time Broderick bothers you, just leave him to me."

"We don't need your help." Micah said sounding irritated.

"I know how much you guys love hiding behind your scary bodyguard." Cassian said sardonically, his tone biting. "But did you ever think it might it be better for Evelyn if she didn't have to scare off all your problems?"

Micah's expression changed, he looked guilty but Cassian ignored him.

"Leave Broderick to me." He said meeting my gaze.

I searched his expression, not understanding. He was offering to help us. Why would Cassian of all people care?

"I'll see you around." He said taking his girlfriend's hand.

They turned and started to walk away, and as they did, I heard April whisper.

"That was terrifying."

I looked down at my hands, wondering what would have happened if Cassian hadn't stopped me. How far would things have gone?

I looked back at my friends. They looked tense but none more than Micah. His arm was around Maya, but his eyes were narrowed as they watched Cassian. Eventually he looked at me.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I don't know."

But before we could discuss this any further, I heard a voice shout my name.

"Evelyn!"

I turned to see Chiron galloping at me at full speed from the direction of the Big House looking worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked as he skidded to a halt in front of me, but I felt my stomach sinking, knowing what it would be.

"We got an emergency iris message. Dylan and Roxanne ran into trouble on their extraction mission. They need your help."


	4. Chapter 4

Epov

I. Hated. Missions.

 _I darted between shadows, trying to avoid jets of fire and acid as the other demigods cowered behind me, and I was uncertain if they were more afraid of the monsters or me._

 _I let out a shout as a claw caught my side and anger took control. The earth erupted with a loud rumbled as fracture appeared the ground, and skeletons tore their way out of the soil. They swarmed the monsters in front of me, as the youngest of the demigods, a girl, let out a scream as, what I could only assume as her worst nightmare, came to life in front of her eyes._

 _The shadows around us grew darker and encroached on the monsters, paralyzing them leaving them helpless to the undead._

 _"Finish it." I ordered, feeling dark energy radiating from me as the skeletons attacked. I turned away to see the three I was with looking at me in fear._

 _"What are you?" the youngest of them asked, her voice shaking in terror._

I woke up cold and sore, in the narrow space between crates I'd been sleeping in to hear whispered voices.

"Should we leave now? Camps not that far…"

"What about Evelyn? We shouldn't leave her alone."

"She'll be fine." The first voice said. "And she might attract the monsters away from us. She's Big Three. They'll care more about her than us."

"But what if she needs help? She came to help us."

"She knew the risks. Besides," the first voice hesitated. "Do you _really_ want to spend more time around her?"

There wasn't a response.

I looked up at the tall ceiling of the abandoned ware house we'd taken refuge in, knowing despite only having a few hours of rest, monsters probably weren't far from our trail.

I'd been called away from camp to help with an extraction mission. The two campers who'd gone to pick up a suspected demigod, had run into monsters and gotten trapped. Now I'd saved their asses and they were planning on ditching me.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

If they left, they left. At least I could get more sleep…

They continued to debate for the next ten minutes or so, but eventually they came to a decision, the one I knew they'd come to because they always did.

I heard the faint rustling which meant they were packing up their things, and part of me wanted to step out, make it clear to them that I knew what they were doing, but I decided against it.

This wasn't the first time I'd been left behind on a mission and I knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Let's go." The first voice whispered and I knew they were near the door.

I was going to let them go. I really was, but just as I heard the door open, the words spouted from me without my control.

"You know, it would be safer to shadow travel." I said opening my eyes, looking at the moonlight filtering through the high windows of the broken-down building.

There was a cold silence where I could practically feel the tension radiating from the them.

I wondered if they'd say anything. Apologize for abandoning me, or just leave. They went for the latter option.

I heard the door shut and felt a bitter smile make its way onto my face.

"I hope they run into the hydra." I muttered closing my eyes trying to get comfortable again.

At least I wouldn't have to waste energy transporting the others back to camp, if I was just moving me, I could grab a few extra hours sleep. Hell, who said I had to go back to camp at all? I could go to Europe for the day if I wanted. Nothing was really stopping me.

Suddenly, Cassian's image popped into my thoughts and I frowned.

Tensions between the demigod factions were probably still pretty high. I should probably go back to camp. Make sure everything was ok.

I sighed and opened my eyes, then looked down myself mentally cataloguing my various injuries. Nothing looked too bad, my side still hurt, and I had a few burns, but it wasn't anything that would stop me from shadow traveling.

So unwillingly, I stood and stretched, wondering how angry Chiron would be if I showed up without the campers I was supposed to be on a mission to retrieve.

Deciding I didn't care, I started to walk towards the exit.

'They shouldn't have left me.' I thought, something just short of bitter as I walked out into the night. 'It was their choice. They had the option to shadow travel if they wanted to.'

I smiled as I stepped outside, enjoying the cool summer breeze that rustled the leaves of the trees that lined the street, but as this thought occurred to me, I felt it disappear.

No one ever really wanted to shadow travel. It scared the crap out of most people and I found myself frowning at this thought.

I knew it wasn't exactly the most pleasant sensation, but it wasn't that bad.

'Maybe I'm just used to it.' I thought putting my hands in my pocket and looking up at the moon.

There was one person, however, who hadn't been freaked by it. I remembered the way Cassian had laughed after he'd realized he'd shadow traveled. Like it hadn't bothered him at all.

Hands still in my pockets, I looked around feeling at home in the night.

My smile returned. I was probably one of the few people on this planet who was comfortable walking alone in the dark. Most people, no matter what they told others, still felt some fear when the lights went out but not me. I was in my element. If anything, I was what people should be scared of.

I heard a noise and turned, melting into the shadows knowing I'd be hidden from whatever was coming.

"The demigods are close." Hissed a low voice and an Empousa came into my eye line. "We should have no problems catching them."

She wasn't alone, a small horde of monsters had gathered, and I knew nothing would stop them from tracking the others. Still hidden by the shadows, they walked passed me completely unaware of my presence, on the trail that would lead them to my ex mission members.

'Serves them right.' I thought acidly. I allowed myself to reappear as the darkness swallowed the monsters. 'They can deal with whatever's coming to them.'

They had left me, and I knew if those monsters had been on my trail, the others wouldn't have lifted a finger to stop them.

Anger swelled within me and I was half way to traveling back to camp, when a small voice in the back of my head stopped me.

'You're better than this.'

I froze and in shock, I realized that the voice that I'd heard was not my own. It took a few moments, but eventually I placed it. It was Cassian's.

What was that about?

I thought back to when he'd come to speak to me outside the Big House, when he'd said that he liked me. That he knew how hard I worked to keep the peace at camp. I hesitated and look over my shoulder down the road, in the direction where the monsters had gone. They'd left me for the monsters to find, but if I left them now, well, wouldn't I be just as bad?

Uncertainty spread within me.

He'd said he liked me. That he considered me a friend. What would he think if he'd known I'd abandoned fellow campers? More importantly, what would I think of myself?

'It's what they deserve.' I thought bitterly, but the anger that had risen inside me was cooling now. Guilt flooded through me and I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave.

I swore.

They had left me. They didn't care if I didn't make it back to camp, and yet for some reason, I couldn't force myself to go.

I swore again, kicking a near by rock and watching it sail into the darkness, but eventually took my sword off my belt and started running.

This was going to be a long night.

Cpov

Things were tense in the camp over the next few days. Rumors of what had happened between Evelyn and the Ares campers spread like wildfire, and as always when people were reminded of Evelyn's powers, things were set on edge.

All and all, it was probably a good thing Evelyn was called out for a rescue mission. I wasn't particularly worried, this had happened before, and I knew tensions would die down especially since she hadn't been here.

In the meantime, I had other problems.

Light flew on as I entered my cabin, and I jumped as several people shouted.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASS!"

Party Poppers launched confetti and streamers into the air and they settled on the floor as I was rushed by my friends.

"Thanks guys." I said forcing a smile, caught completely off guard.

Angela had said she was planning something for this weekend.

I had no time to process this however, because I was tackled into a hug and my vision was obscured by long blonde hair.

"Happy birthday babe!" April said giggling sliding her hand into mine as she let me go and dragged me into the party.

Several girls giggled as I passed and while usually I would have been into all the attention, I wasn't today. I had just checked my phone before I'd walked into the party, no calls and no texts. Nothing from my father.

"Are you surprised?" April asked.

"Very." I said trying to keep the smile on my face, but feeling it falter. No one seemed to notice. "Angela said we were going to have a party this weekend."

"Well of course I did." She said falling out of the crowd and beaming with pride at her efforts. "That way you wouldn't suspect it was on your actual birthday."

"Very clever." I said and she smirked.

"I know."

Over the next hour or so, I tried my best to enjoy the party. But the later it got, and the more I checked my phone, the more obvious it became that my father had forgotten.

At about ten I couldn't take it anymore. The fake smiles and talking just for appearances sake. I stepped out onto the pouch to get some air and checked my phone one last time. Nothing.

I sighed and turned it off, putting it back in my pocket. I didn't know why I was surprised.

"You're not having fun, are you?"

I looked up to see Angela had stepped out on to the porch behind me, and she was frowning.

"What makes you think that?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"You're not that good an actor."

"What do you mean?"

"You've barely paid attention to your girlfriend."

"So?"

"So, you're being really rude to people, even for you. What's up?"

I shrugged not really knowing what was wrong with me. I shouldn't be surprised that my dad had forgotten, it wouldn't be the first time. But all my friends were annoying me right now, especially April. She'd been following me around all night, practically attached to my hip.

"I guess I'm just not in a party mood." I said.

"Well get it together will you?" she asked sounding a little irritated. "Because I worked really hard on this and I'm pretty sure Broderick is about this close to decking you."

She held her fingers about centimeter apart and I almost laughed at this. I'd like to see how he'd react to the army of girl who'd attack him if he did.

"Fine." I said with a sigh and plastering a smile on my face. "Better?"

"Much. Now go in there and be charming." She said pushing me towards the cabin's front door. "I know you know how. You might not be having fun but you don't have to be rude to the people who showed up to be with you today."

"Alright."

We stepped back inside and were immediately found by April.

"Hey, I was wondering where you got to." She said taking my hand and Angela squealed.

"You two are so cute together! Seriously I could die."

April giggled and moved closer to me as another one of my sisters, Mimi, a short brunette who was a few years younger than us giggled as well.

"I know, aren't they? Wouldn't it be so cute if they ended up getting married?"

"Married?" I asked gagging on the soda I'd picked up and April beamed.

"April Carter." She said looking up at me, seeming amused. "I dunno, I like the sound of it."

"What?" I asked totally confused.

"You know, Carter. As in Cassian Carter. Your last name."

I felt a stab of irritation go through me as I realized what she was getting at.

"That isn't my last name." I said annoyed and her smile faltered.

"Wait, what?" she asked.

"It's Holt." I said frowning pulling my hand out of hers. Did she seriously not know my last name? We'd been dating for a month.

"Oh," she said looking a little surprised, but she rallied almost immediately. "It's not that big of a deal. Besides. Do you even know my last name?"

"It's Peterson." I said flatly and I noticed my sisters were looking at each other a little awkwardly.

April looked as if she wanted to say something, but I cut her off before she could even start.

"I'm going to get another drink." I said tersely.

I walked back to the cooler ignoring the several people that tried to speak to me.

I grabbed another soda, still in disbelief at what April had said, when I noticed pretty girl looking my way. I didn't know her name, but I was pretty sure she was one of April's sisters. I was just about to go talk to her when my name was called, and I looked up to see a tall blonde boy walking my way.

"Hey! Cass!"

It was Andrew, Mandy's brother and a friend of mine.

"What's up Drew?" I asked.

"I was looking for you earlier during letter writing, but I couldn't find you. You got mail."

"I did?" I asked in surprise.

I avoided writing letters during the designated times. There was only one person who'd write to me, and my father _never_ wrote letters.

"Yeah, here." He said handing me a letter, which I opened a little too eagerly. Maybe he had remembered after all.

I scanned the brief note, feeling my stomach sink as I read the contents.

"You ok?" Andrew asked as I felt the paper crush between my fingers.

At no point tonight had I felt like partying, but now, I didn't feel like being around people at all. Not even my siblings, the only people I'd been able to tolerate during this entire head ache.

"Yeah." I said keeping my tone casual, trying to ignore the way my knuckles had gone white from the fists my hands were making.

"What did the letter say?" Andrew asked, clearly noticing this too.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head and putting it in my pocket. "My Dad just changed our Christmas plans. That's all."

"Oh." Andrew said looking a little relieved. "You guys doing anything cool?"

"Yeah." I lied, not wanting to admit the truth. "We're going to go on a cruise."

"Nice." He said grinning. "Bet you can't wait to get out of here."

"Yeah." I said half-heartedly, but he didn't notice.

He mentioned something about finding his sister and wandered off back into the party.

I noticed the girl from earlier was still looking at me, but any desire I'd had to talk to her had been extinguished by the letter.

Completely forgetting about my friends and my girlfriend, I stepped out into the night finding that I wanted to be alone.

Another Christmas, he'd left me for another Christmas… There had been no card, no gift, no mention of my birthday at all. He'd just cancelled our plans. That was it.

Random thoughts filtered through my mind as I walked away from the cabins having no real direction I was determined to go.

It was a full moon, and there was plenty of light to see, but I still jumped when I heard a door slam.

I blinked and looked up to see in my distracted state I'd wandered to the Big House, and Evelyn had just walked out.

"Ev," I said in surprise. She looked, well she looked awful. Her clothes were dirty and torn in some places, and she was covered in scratches that I knew had to be from monsters. Her hair was falling out of braids that looked as if they'd been done days ago, and she looked extremely tired.

She must have been coming from the infirmary after her mission.

"Cassian?" she asked in blank shock. "What are you doing out here?"

I shrugged and looked back at the cabins, where I could still see the light and noise coming from the party.

"Just didn't feel like dealing with all that right now." I said gesturing towards my cabin and she frowned.

She ignored my question in favor of her own.

"Isn't that usually your sort of thing?" she asked. "Partying with the beautiful people and such?"

She said it like a joke, but I didn't find it very funny. It was weird, any other time I would have laughed, I might have even joked back, but I just didn't have it in me tonight.

She seemed to notice because she frowned.

"Are you ok Cass?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure?" she pressed and I hesitated, surprised she'd asked. People usually took me at my word, that or they didn't care enough to press the issue. "Isn't it your birthday today? Why aren't you with your friends?"

I stared at her a little surprised. How had she known?

"Your last name." I said eventually. "It's Blake, isn't it?"

"Yeah." She said warily, as if she was expecting something devious out of this question. "Why?"

I shrugged.

"No reason."

"Alright." She said and it was her turn to pause.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked again and I nodded though I wasn't sure why. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't. I didn't feel ok at all, but something about standing here, talking to her was making me feel better.

"Alright then." She said looking unconvinced but she moved to keep walking back in the direction of her cabin, no doubt to get some rest after her mission.

It wasn't until she passed me that I was seized by a sudden urge to turn and ask.

"Do you know mine?"

"What?"

She looked over her shoulder and as my gaze met hers, she looked more than a little confused by this question.

"My last name." I said wondering why I cared so much, but I suddenly felt a strong desire to hear her response. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's Holt, isn't it?"

"Yeah." I said and for some reason, hearing her say it had put a smile on my face.

"What's with the sudden interest in surnames?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." I said easily, continuing to grin. I was suddenly in a much better mood. "But it would sound good, wouldn't it?"

"What?"

"Evelyn Holt." I said my grin growing and she stared at me for a full thirty seconds before shaking her head and saying.

"I'm too tired for this."

"For what?"

"For this," she gestured towards me. "Whatever you're up to." She said waving me off and walking back in the direction of the cabins.

"Even you have to admit, it has a nice ring to it!" I called after her grinning and she waved again, already several feet away.

I was suddenly gripped by an urge to talk to her more, to make her stay.

I jogged after her.

"Hey! Ev!" I called. "Wait up for a second!"

She paused, looking over her shoulder giving me a curious expression. I noticed it was a little suspicious and I found I didn't like that.

"Yeah?"

I hadn't expected her to stop and I was brought up short. I had to scramble for something to say.

"Is it true you can use darkness to make yourself invisible?" I asked.

I hadn't meant to ask this, but I'd heard rumors from people who'd faced her during the capture the flag games. Part of me couldn't quite believe it, but it was something I'd always wanted to know.

"Yeah." She said simply.

"Show me." I said and she looked surprised by this, but eventually, she grinned.

"Alright."

She sounded amused and suddenly, it looked as if the shadows around her cast by the moon light were encroaching on her. The twisted up her form, and suddenly, she was gone.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. She'd just vanished.

I walked over to where she'd been, half convinced she'd just shadow traveled to trick me, when something grabbed the back of my shirt and I heard a voice say.

"Boo."

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Gods Ev!" I said looking over my shoulder.

Her laughter came from nowhere, but she reappeared, smirking as she let me go.

"Did I scare you?"

"No." I said stubbornly and she raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't you jump if someone grabbed you in the middle of the night?"

"I'm not all that concerned about things in the dark, usually it's the other way around."

She'd said this as a joke, and she'd smiled, but something in her eyes made me feel like she personally didn't find it very funny.

"You ok?" I asked and the emotion vanished.

"I'm fine." She said easily. "But I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you around."

"Alright. See ya."

"Happy Birthday Cass."

"Thanks." I said watching her walk back to her cabin, I wasn't sure why, but suddenly, today didn't feel like a total loss.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello! Sorry it's been so long, my life has been super crazy lately and I just haven't had time to write/edit. I'm sooooo sorry this took so long to upload but I hope you like the latest chapter!

~secrethalfblood

Epov

Over the next week or so, things around camp were pretty uneventful. People went to their activities, campers got along for the most part, and my friends and I kept to ourselves. The days passed pretty normally, there was only one problem.

My eyes flew open and I sat up breathing hard, reaching for my sword ready to attack. I looked around the room straining to see through darkness, my heart pounding in my ears before I realized where I was, what had happened.

I let my sword fall on to the bed next to me while I glanced at the clock on my nightstand.

Only two hours of sleep.

I sighed and put my head in my hands, willing my heart rate to go down as I tried to take deep, calming breaths.

"Just a dream." I said whispered pushing my hair back from my face. "You're fine, you're ok. It was just a dream…"

Every night this week had been like this. Waking up in terror, thinking I was be surrounded by monsters, unfriendly demigods, or gods know what else, only to realize I was safe in my cabin, completely alone. It was getting to the point where I was dreading going to bed each night, knowing what was waiting for me.

'Just a dream.' I reminded myself. 'You were just dreaming.'

But I winced as my mind was taken over by memories as vivid as the nightmares. Memories of moments that I couldn't reassure myself away from. Because they weren't dreams.

"Don't think about it." I chided, angry with myself.

I shook my head and looked around the dark room, trying to find anything to distract myself from my thoughts. I'd seen enough to know that demigod's lives were often the stuff of nightmares. It was bad enough I relived those moments in my dreams, I didn't need to think about them when I was awake too. Right now I was safe. That was all that mattered.

I got to my feet and walked around the room, only stopping when I realized I was pacing.

The Hades cabin looked pretty much like what you'd expect it to. It was dark, the furniture was expensive and custom made which wasn't a surprise seeing has how wealthy my father was. The beds were shaped like coffins, with silk sheets and velvet pillows both the color of blood. All chairs were cushioned in black leather and in the main hall, there was a shrine covered in bones and jewels.

Sometimes it bothered me how comfortable I was in here. I knew most people would have been creeped out, that wasn't the normal reaction to a place that practically screamed reminders of death, wasn't it? To want to run in the opposite direction and never look back? But I'd never really had that option. It was quite literally a part of me, there wasn't anywhere I could run that my father and his world couldn't follow.

I shook my head, nothing in here was going to help, so I got to my feet, glanced around the room one final time before deciding to go for a walk. Technically, campers weren't supposed to be out of their cabins after lights out, but what was the worst they could do to me? Ban me from dessert? These were the same people who sent me on missions to kill monsters like the Hydra, missing out on cake didn't exactly make me tremble with fear.

So, with nothing better to do, I made my way towards the beach letting my thoughts filter in and out of my mind at random.

It didn't take long to get there. I sat on the sand, watching as the waves rolled in and sank into the shore, making sure to stay a safe distance away from the water. Being a daughter of Hades, crossing into Poseidon's realm was just asking for trouble. My mother had known this, which was why she'd never taken me to the beach as a kid, so the sound was as close as I ever got to an "Ocean Experience". Even then I couldn't go into the water. Still, part of me wanted to know what it was like.

I hugged my knees to my chest as I reflected on this, a cool breeze blowing off the water bringing with it the smell of salt.

This was the problem with having a father with his own realm. Sure some people thought it was cool to have formidable powers, but the truth is, when your father is one of the Big Three, it comes with a lot of restrictions. None of them liked it when the other crossed into their territories, which meant I had to avoid the ocean and the sky. Some people might argue it's an even trade, I mean, daughters and sons of Poseidon and Zeus have the same issue, but with me it was a little different. I mean, no one really _wants_ to go into the Underworld. Not normal people anyways.

'You are normal.' I thought, but my heart wasn't really in it. My friends and I were just different. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was what it was. It's why we stuck together and tried not to bother with the other campers too much, and while I made my peace with it long before now, something about it tonight was depressing me.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep.

Thankfully, this train of thought was interrupted when I heard a giggle that someone obviously tried to stifle.

"Do you think anyone heard that?" A female voice asked nervously and I was surprised when I recognized the one that responded.

"You worry too much."

"I'm serious Cass."

"Who would be out here to hear us?" he asked sounding amused and as I looked over my shoulder, two figures came into view. Their fingers were intertwined, and I felt an eyebrow rise as they came closer. Though it was dark, there was enough moonlight to see the one on the left was definitely Cassian, and the hand he was holding was not Aprils.

Something like shock went through me, but it wasn't Cassian's behavior that surprised me. No this was pretty much par for the course for him. But I hadn't expected to run into anybody out here, much less be involved in this whole awkward situation and part of me thought I should use the shadows to make myself scarce, but then again… Why should I hide?

I wasn't doing anything wrong, well except for being out of my cabin. But so were they. They'd interrupted my night, not the other way around. Why should I have to leave?

I decided just to ignore them. I didn't know the girl, I wasn't friends with April, and the last thing I wanted to do was get involved in Cassian's love life so I pretty much just wanted to stay out of it.

They clearly hadn't noticed me, because they kept talking and flirting. This continued for the next five minutes or so, and I was starting to wonder if they were going to walk right past me when the girl spoke, her tone terrified.

"Oh my gods."

"Evelyn?"

I looked over my shoulder to see they were standing not four feet away, looking at me, eyes wide.

I waved a little awkwardly, and the girl seemed to snap out of her horror. She was pretty, but I didn't get a good look at her because the second her eyes met mine, she bolted. Cassian made a halfhearted effort to go after her, but didn't manage more than a few steps. He stood there for a moment, clearly not really certain what to do before he looked back at me.

"Look, about that-" he started but I cut him off.

"It's not my business." I said shaking my head and looking out over the water.

"It's just-"

"I don't want to know." I said raising my hand and he was silent for a few seconds before he stepped into my peripheral vision.

I could tell he was looking at me, obviously trying to figure out what he wanted to do next, but eventually, he took a seat in the sand next to me and rested his elbows on his knees, also looking out over the water.

"Nice pajama pants." He said eventually and I looked at my baggy flannel PJ bottoms.

"Nice date." I responded and instantly the air between us thickened.

"Sorry." I said eventually knowing it was a low blow, but he shook his head.

"Don't be," he said with a sigh rubbing the back of his head a little awkwardly. "I probably deserved it."

I could tell he wanted to explain himself, and was trying to find the words, but I forestalled his efforts.

"Look, you don't have to justify anything to me." I said and I saw his expression was conflicted. "Like I said, it's not my business."

"I wasn't going to justify anything," he said defensively, but I raised an eyebrow and he relented. "Ok, maybe I was going to a little."

"Feeling guilty?"

"No." he said stubbornly.

"Then why do you feel the need to justify it?"

"I thought you said this was none of your business."

"It's not." I said with a shrug and another moment of silence passed between us before he eventually broke it with.

"I guess, I guess I just didn't expect to run into anyone here."

"Sorry to ruin your date."

"It's not that." He said shaking his head sounding frustrated. "It's just, you're like the last person I'd want to run into in this situation."

I frowned slightly.

"Don't want me scaring off your lady friends? Or are you afraid I'm going to tell April?"

"No." he said shaking his head. "I don't really care if people find out."

"Then why does it bother you if I'm here?"

He hesitated and the silence between us was the longest yet.

"I don't really know." He said frowning. "I guess I care what you think about me." The thought seemed to be a revelation to him, as if he was just discovering this as he said it. "I'm not used to that feeling. Girls know what they're getting into when they date me, you're one of the few that hasn't tried to."

He smiled slightly as he said that, as if it were a novel idea, that a girl might not want to date him and I felt my brow furrow.

"Why would I want to date you?" I asked skeptically. "We have absolutely nothing in common."

At this he laughed.

"Hasn't stopped the other girls."

"Are you aware of how arrogant you sound right now?"

"Yes." He said shrugging and laying back in the sand, still grinning. "But I'm attractive so people over look it."

I looked down at him and saw his face was turned in my direction.

"I bet we have some things in common." He said charismatically and I rolled my eyes.

"Do you _have_ to flirt every five seconds?" I asked a little annoyed and his smile grew. "Do you even realize that you're doing it?"

"Why does it matter? Is it working?"

"No." I said flatly. "And what would your friends think if they saw you with the Underfreak?"

"I don't really care what they think." He said lazily looking up at the stars. "You're pretty, I can't help myself."

Not knowing how to answer this, I decided not to.

"So what are you doing out here Ev?" he asked putting his arms behind his head and looking back at me.

I shrugged not wanting to talk about terrifying nightmares to prince charming himself, but he didn't seem satisfied with this as a response.

"Hellhound got your tongue?" He teased and I narrowed my eyes.

"You do realize I could summon one to eat you right now, right?"

"You could." He agreed sounding far from concerned. "But you won't."

"You're sure about that?"

"Of course."

"Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because you're a nice person." He said giving me a significant look. "Nice people don't commit murder via their father's scary K9 friends."

This last sentence came with a bit of derision in his tone, and I wasn't sure why, but I was affronted.

"Have you seen me in the arena?" I shot back. "Ask your friend Broderick. I am not nice."

"First of all, Broderick deserves to get his butt kicked every once and a while. It does him some good, keeps his ego in check. I'm not even sure if you can really call us friends."

"And second?"

"Second." His expression turned thoughtful. "You are a nice person Ev. Well, you're a good person at least. And sometimes I think we don't really deserve you."

He said this as an afterthought, and while I wanted to ask what he meant by it, I decided not to.

We sat there for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, but again, it was Cassian who broke the silence.

"You want to swim?"

"What?" I asked completely taken aback by this question.

"I mean, we're already here." He said gesturing towards the water, but when I continued to stare at him, he looked confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"No."

"I can't go out there!"

"… why not?" he asked quizzically, and once again, I lamented at how easy other demigods had it.

"What do you think will happen if a daughter of Hades just walks off the shoreline and into Poseidon's territory?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "You think he's going to let that slide? All it takes is one riptide, or a rush of various aquatic monsters and my father gets permanent custody."

"Is that what you call dying?" he asked bursting into laughter. "Permanent custody?"

I shrugged and he continued to sound amused.

"I think you've got a pretty high opinion of yourself Ev. I don't think the Earthshaker is going to care if you wade a couple feet off the shore. I'm guessing he's got bigger problems."

"You'd be surprised." I muttered darkly.

"So, you're just going to spend your whole life avoiding the sea?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. I didn't really see an alternative.

"Have you ever even been in the water at the beach?" he asked hesitantly.

I hadn't noticed but as we'd been talking, the sky was starting to lighten. It wasn't quite morning yet, but it would be soon.

"No," I said honestly. "This is the only beach I've been to. My mom always said it wasn't safe to go. And I've never done it here so…"

He looked at me for a second, and seemed to be deciding something.

Suddenly, he stood, took off his shirt, and offered me his hand.

"C'mon Blake."

"What in my father's name are you doing?" I asked completely confused, but he reached down, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to my feet.

"We," he said emphasizing the word. "Are going in the water."

"Uh, no _we_ are not." I said trying to pull my hand out of his grip but he didn't let go.

"You can't live your whole life afraid of the water Ev."

"I'm not afraid." I said indignantly. "I'm being realistic."

"You need to learn how to live a little."

"You realize how ironic that is right, saying that to me?"

"What? Because of your father?"

"Yeah." I said grinning slightly, but it faded when he didn't return the smile.

"You know you talk about him a lot." He said shaking his head.

"So?" I asked defensively. "I'm not the only one. We're demigods, we're defined by our parents. Just look at our cabins. Look at our friends. I'm a child of Hades. We don't go in the water and we don't go in the sky."

"Yeah, but is that all you want to be?" he asked and he sounded frustrated.

The sky had grown lighter on the horizon, the first few rays of dawn were about to appear and I looked at Cassian a little confused. Usually with Cass, everything was pretty superficial and light. He joked, he laughed, he smiled and found his way to your good side, but something was different about him now.

"Why do you care so much?"

At this he let out a short laugh, but it was devoid of humor.

"You know, I don't even know. Maybe you're right," he continued. "Maybe I am being unrealistic. I just…"

But the sentence died and I found myself a little afraid of what was left unsaid.

"You seem better than that Ev," he said eventually. "I know your friends and my friends don't get along, but you've never held that against me. Most of the camp treats you horribly, when you first got here people were terrified to even look at you, but you didn't leave. You help campers that never help you, you take endless crap from everyone, the only time you ever fight back is when it isn't about you. And I'm not saying being a child of Hades is a bad thing," he paused. "But why do you have to label yourself like everyone else does?"

"My father is the God of Death, I can't change that." I said frowning. "I might as well accept it. Take ownership of it."

"Why can't you just be Evelyn? Even if it's only for a few minutes?"

This was weird. This wasn't the Cassian I was used to. How had everything gotten so serious? Where was the handsome ladies man that occasionally dropped in and out of my life when he needed something? I could deal with that version of him. It was easy to compartmentalize, to deal with on an as needed bases but this… this made me uncomfortable.

Dawn was really starting to break now, and the horizon was just starting to transition from a pale gray to a light gold as the sun threatened to peak over the water.

"I don't know how to swim." I said the words practically stumbling over each other as they fell out of my mouth.

"What?" he asked looking confused.

"I've never been in deep water before." I admitted. "Not even like a pool or anything. I can't swim."

He seemed to understand what I was getting at however, because he grinned, but it wasn't his usually smug or charismatic one. It was a genuine smile, and just now seeing it, I realized how rare it was. I had to admit, seeing him smile like that caught me off guard. I found it a little hard to think straight.

"Don't worry," he said a little amused holding out his hand again. "I'm not going to let you drown."

I hesitated and looked at the waves then back at him, before taking his hand and he walked back, pulling me towards the water.

I was about a foot away, when I stopped automatically, my heels digging into the sand. I'd never been this close to a large body of water before. Cassian's feet were already covered.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You realize that if I'm right about the monsters or the riptide or whatever, I'm taking you down with me, right?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

At this he laughed.

"Fair enough," he said with a smirk. "But you know, I've always wanted to meet your dad."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" I asked. No one wanted to meet my dad. Meeting my dad meant one of two things, you were desperate or you were dead.

"I have a lot of questions about young Evelyn Blake."

I was about to respond with something sarcastic, but it was beat out by a shout as something cold washed over my feet. I looked down, startled to see that a wave had spilled over the sand where I'd been standing and was already sinking back into the beach.

I stared down at my toes, hardly able to believe what had just happened, then jumped again as a second wave came, repeating the process.

It was only when Cassian said,

"See? Not so bad is it?"

That I realized in my surprise, I'd grabbed a hold of him.

I quickly released him, but something in my expression must have amused him because when I looked up, he laughed.

"If you could see your face right now."

I was too distracted by a third wave washing over me to respond. I grinned, and by the fourth, I was laughing.

I wiggled my toes, watching the sand cloud around them before the water rushed away again and before I knew it, I was rolling my pajama bottoms up past my knees eager to wade farther into the water.

I was about to jog in deeper when Cassian caught my arm.

"We should probably take this slowly." He said. "Just in case you were right about the rip tide."

He was still smiling but his eyes were a little worried, and I could tell he really was concerned about it.

It took a little while, but eventually as the sun was peaking over the horizon, I'd waded to my knees. I didn't care that the water was freezing, or that my pajamas were now soaked with salt water, or that my hair now probably smelled like seaweed. I grinned as Cassian caught a few waves, body surfing back towards the shore.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" I asked eagerly as he shook the water out of his hair and he looked down at me a little amused.

It was well and truly morning now, and though I'd been out most of the night, I found I wasn't tired.

"Ev, you can't swim."

"I could learn." I said and he let out a laugh.

"Pulling a 180 from your previous stance on the water are you?"

"I'm not dead yet."

"True, but we should probably head back to our cabins." He said squinting at the sunrise. "Before someone realizes we aren't there."

"Yeah, probably." I said feeling unaccountably disappointed.

We walked back in the direction of the main camp, not really talking, but when we reached the cabins, I felt the urge to say something.

I decided on a thank you.

"Thank you?" he repeated sounding a little confused. "For what?"

"For convincing me to out into the water." I said shrugging. "It was fun."

"It's not that big a deal Ev," he said shrugging and grinning slightly.

"It is for me." I said.

I never got to have fun anymore, not really. I mean yeah, I trained in the arena and hung out with my friends, but there was always this understanding that here I was always on call. If something went wrong with my friends or camp needed someone for a mission, it was always my job to fix it. I'd honestly forgotten we were at camp when I was with Cassian on the beach. It was nice not to have to think about it for a while.

He seemed a little as if he wasn't sure what to say, but decided to go with.

"No problem. I'll see you around."

"Yeah." I agreed feeling a smile make its way to my face.

He walked off in the direction of his cabin and I watched him go for a second, and although I'd never really minded having a cabin to myself, I found I was a little let down when I realized that I'd be going back to being alone.

It was then, that I finally felt the pair of eyes on me. I turned and looked over my shoulder to see Maya, standing at the doors of the bathrooms, carrying her shower caddy and was clearly about to take an early morning shower. It was also then, that I realized my clothes were soaked, I was in my pajamas, and I'd just been walking back from the beach where I'd spent a good portion of the early morning hours with not just one of the Olympian campers, but Cassian Holt of all people.

I had no explanations for her, and she seemed to read it off my face because she put her hands up in the universal 'I'm not going to ask' gesture, then made a key and locking gesture over her lips.

While she turned and walked into the showers, I knew this discussion wasn't over.

I put my hands in my pockets, then remembered my pants were soaked. I'd been so caught up in what had been happening earlier, I hadn't thought once about what my friends would say if they'd known it had happened. If Micah had been there he'd have blown a gasket. Cassian's friends probably would have too.

I knew Maya would probably want some answers, and I had no idea what I was going to tell her. I wasn't even sure I completely understood it myself.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, again work and school is crazy. I really am trying to post as much as possible as fast as I can. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter! Thank you for all the reviews and support! I really take them to heart!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

I made it back to my cabin a little before six in the morning. I stepped through the front door expecting everyone to be asleep, but found as I walked into the common area, I came face to face with Angela already starting her morning beauty regiment.

Her hair was up in a towel, her face covered in a beauty mask, and she wore a fluffy pink robe that matched her slippers. She looked surprised to see me, but quickly scowled when she took in my tousled hair and damp clothes.

"Do I want to know?" she asked sourly and I grinned as I made my way towards my room.

"Probably not." I admitted.

She made an irritated noise and I knew she'd rolled her eyes. For some reason, it made my smile grow.

Though I'd been out all night and part of me was tempted to try and catch a nap before breakfast, I knew if I did, I would have no time to get ready for the day. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but in my cabin, just getting out of bed and going was almost sacrilege.

So, I grabbed a change of clothes, some products, and made my way towards the showers.

My shower took a bit longer than I expected and by the time I was out and making my way back to my cabin, other campers were starting to wake up.

I had almost made it back when I spotted Amy, the girl I'd run into Evelyn with last night. She seemed as if she wanted to walk towards me, but she quickly looked away when a voice said.

"Hey Cass."

I turned to see April jogging towards me, absolutely beaming for some reason.

"Hey," I said trying to push Amy from my mind and smiling when she stood on her toes to kiss me on the cheek. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Oh, nothing," she said pushing her hair behind her ear looking both nervous and excited at the same time. "It's just, I kind of have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah." She said brightly, but I couldn't help hearing a note of anxiety in her tone.

"What is it?" I asked warily, unsettled by this.

"Well," she said and she hesitated for just a second before rushing the rest of her sentence. "My family kind of sort of wants to meet you."

Her smiled widened as I looked at her in complete shock.

"What?" I asked blankly.

"Well, I've been writing home all summer, and I mentioned you and well," she shrugged and giggled slightly. "They want to meet you. I wanted to tell you last night, but you sort of disappeared after the campfire."

It was clear she was over the moon about this, but I honestly didn't know how I was supposed to react. I'd never met anyone's parents before. Being stuck at camp for most of the year sort of put a damper on the whole 'Meeting the family' part of any relationship I'd been in. This… this seemed a bit serious.

"Why do they want to meet me?" I asked trying not to sound too resistant, but frowning a little all the same. It was clear this was a big deal to her, and my less than happy reaction was starting to register. Her smile had faded slightly.

"Well…" she said dragging out the word a little, her tone clearly stating the reason should have been obvious. "You _are_ my boyfriend."

"Don't you live in California?" I asked playing for time.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't object to going to California. Growing up I'd traveled a lot. My Dad was never in the same city for more than a week because of his job, but did April seriously expect me to cross the country just to meet her family?

"But that's what's so perfect!" she said her enthusiasm returning. "They decided to come to New York for their vacation this year! And it's perfect timing, because they'll be here the same time your Dad will be for that fashion show next week. I thought, you know, maybe we could all meet in the city together."

She looked at me, her blue eyes wide and hopeful.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll call him." I lied having no intention of actually doing so. My father had never had any interest in who I dated, let alone asked to meet anyone, and he'd be way too busy to meet next week anyways. At least, that's what he'd said when I'd asked to see him.

"Great!" she said ecstatically and tackling me into a hug. "I can't wait." She let me go and smiled her eyes practically shining with excitement. "I'm so glad you're finally going to get to meet them. My siblings keep hinting in their letters they think I'm making you up. They keep saying you're too good looking for me."

She'd said this in an offhand tone, but I could hear the need for validation behind it. However, there was something in her sentence that I found far more important to address.

"How do they know what I look like?" I asked suspiciously and I immediately I saw that she'd said something she hadn't meant to.

She looked awkward, and I could feel my suspicion increasing.

"Well, when we started dating, no one back home really believed that I had a boyfriend, so... I kind of made you a Facebook page."

"You what?" I asked incredulously, but before I could even begin to unpack the level of crazy behind this, she tried to explain.

"Look I know it's a little weird," she said interrupting my reaction. "And I can give you the password and email I used, but I just wanted people to know I wasn't lying!"

"So you just thought you'd go ahead and do it without telling me?" I asked in disbelief. "Where did you even get pictures of me to put on the page?"

"It wasn't that hard." She muttered, her eyes avoiding mine. "Lots of people around camp have pictures of you. I just sort of asked around…"

Her sentence faded and she shrugged. I stared at her for a good ten seconds before deciding I had nothing to say.

I turned without a word and walked back to my cabin.

I could hear her call after me but I ignored her, unable to believe what I'd just heard.

It shouldn't have been a big deal, it was just a Facebook page after all. But there was just one problem. I hated social media. And anyone who knew anything about me, knew that I did.

I shoved my hands into my pocket and glowered, trying to control the anger that was surging through me without much success.

Don't get the wrong impression. I'm not some contrarian who thinks just because something is popular I have to hate it, but I'd had social media before, and when you had a father like mine, It. Was. A. _Nightmare_.

You see, my father works in fashion, and the thing about that is, a lot of people who want to work in fashion have turned to social media. That means everyone who wants to join the industry, photographers, models, designers, who are all social media famous, think they can get to my father through me.

And you might think well Cass, it's not so bad, set your accounts to private. Make it so the people you don't want to find you, can't find you. To that I say, believe me, they have ways.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, knowing I was going to mess it up but not caring. This was ridiculous. I shouldn't be getting this upset, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

But it wasn't just the page that was bothering me. It was the fact that April had felt the need to make it, that she had to show me off to her friends and family. Well that was kind of messed up, and what was worse, she didn't even tell me. On some level even she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she'd done it anyways.

When I reached my room, I dropped off my shower things and ignored my brothers who'd asked if I was alright.

I stormed out of the cabin and made my way to breakfast. Several people greeted me, their smiles faltering when they caught my expression.

I looked around at all the campers. April had said she'd gone around asking people for pictures of me. How many of these people had given them to her? How many of my friends, who knew I wouldn't be ok with this, had done it?

As I scanned the tables I tried to reassure myself. I tried to find someone, anyone, who I thought would have refused April. Or who'd even have the decency to tell me what she'd done.

But the longer I search, the less secure I felt. My stomach started to sink as I realized that I couldn't find a single one. A wave of nausea went through me as I was forced to confront a reality I didn't want to. The truth was, I didn't think a single one of them would.

Several people had noticed I'd entered the Pavilion, a few of them waved, a couple gestured for me to come over to talk to them. I ignored them.

Deciding the last thing I wanted to do was be around people, I turned and walked out of breakfast with no real direction in mind.

Not paying attention, I bumped into someone.

I didn't bother to apologize. I was too irritated. I paused however, when a snide voice said.

"Watch it Pretty Boy."

I turned, ready to snap back but stopped when I recognized the person in front of me.

It was Micah, Evelyn's best friend. He was angry and he wasn't alone. He was glowering at me, as were several of his siblings and friends. One wasn't though. Evelyn looked conflicted as her dark eyes darted between Micah and I.

It was clear that unlike me, she'd elected to sleep instead of getting ready for the day. Her dark hair was pulled back into a barely controlled ponytail, which made me think she'd just gotten up and rolled straight to breakfast. As usual, she was wearing black.

I knew Angela found this to be irritating. She always commented how fair skin and dark clothes weren't a good match, and while usually I'd tend to agree with her, I found for some reason, with Evelyn, it had never bothered me.

Despite the fact I was almost certain she put zero effort into how she looked, Evelyn was still pretty, but because she didn't care, it took a second to realize it. She never wore make up or did much with her hair, so if someone were to ask me to list the 'pretty girls' in camp I probably wouldn't have mentioned Evelyn, but when I really looked at her, it was hard to think see how I wouldn't.

Most people thought her eyes were black, but it wasn't true. They were a deep brown, but you could only tell if you were really looking into them. They were framed by long dark lashes, and were almost always impossible to read unless she was angry. Then you knew you were in trouble.

Her features were delicate, small mouth, small nose, but none of it was out of proportion. Her smile was gorgeous, I'd realized this last night when she'd finally agreed to walking out in the water, but only when I'd seen it, did I realize that I rarely did. Evelyn didn't smile a lot, not the way she'd smiled on the beach, as if she were genuinely happy. Most of the time when I saw her, her expression was measured, controlled. Something told me she was too busy going on missions and taking care of her friends to be completely happy all the time.

A strange sensation went throughout me this thought struck me, and I wondered if she knew this about herself. I found wanted to say something to her, but the longer Micah and the others glared at me, the more I gained a sense that that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Sorry." I said eventually and walked away, feeling more uncertain than ever.

I only made it a few steps before I looked back over my shoulder.

Micah and the others had made it into the Pavilion and I lost them in the sea of campers trying to make it to breakfast.

I stood there a second, not sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. The last thing I wanted was go back in there and deal with the same friends I'd set out to avoid, but I couldn't just stand here.

I glanced around, trying to figure out what I should do when I spotted a familiar face.

Amy was a few feet away, hesitating as a few of her siblings encouraged her to follow them into the Pavilion. She'd obviously spotted me and now that she'd gotten my attention, was wondering what I was going to do.

I wavered for half a second, then made up my mind. I smiled and walked towards her.

Epov

I managed to get an extra hour and a half of sleep before I had to get ready for breakfast, even still, that left me with a whopping total of three and a half hours last night so I went through my day pretty tired.

I half expected Maya to demand answers from me about Cassian the next time we saw each other, but she didn't. We were so busy with activities, I didn't see her much, and by lunch I'd totally forgotten about this morning. But when she sat her plate on my table and sat across from me, giving me an expectant expression, I knew the moment had come.

"Spill." She said with a pointed look.

Playing for time, I countered with.

"You're not supposed to sit here."

"And you're not supposed to be out running around all night with Pretty Boy." She said raising an eyebrow.

"It wasn't all night." I said defensively and she rolled her eyes.

"What happened Ev?"

"I dunno Maya, we just sort of ran into each other."

"Ran into each other?" she asked skeptically. "In the middle of the night?"

I nodded and her eyes narrowed, as if she wasn't sure she believed she was getting the whole story.

"What were you guys doing anyways?" she asked and I was about to tell her what happened, when I remembered why Cassian had been at the beach.

Should I mention why he was there? My initial thought was 'No', but I wasn't sure why. It wasn't like Maya would care or be surprised if I told her the truth, but it wasn't really her business. It wasn't even mine really, it was Cass's and that girl's. So, feeling a sense of loyalty I didn't completely understand, I shrugged and decided to go with.

"I guess we both couldn't sleep."

At this her expression changed and grew concerned.

"Are you still having nightmares?"

"It's no big deal," I said trying to play it off. "Demigods have nightmares all the time."

"Not as often as you do." She said quietly.

"Look can we just not talk about this, please?" I asked avoiding her gaze.

She looked reluctant to change topics but eventually relented and said.

"So you guys just happened to run into each other?"

"Yeah." I said, and she seemed about to ask another question, but was cut off when someone sat next to her.

"Are we _finally_ ditching the cabin tables rule?" Micah asked excitedly as he sat down his sandwich and looked at me expectantly. "You know what, I don't even care if we aren't. I've got a new idea for the plan tonight and I wanted your guys' opinions."

He launched into discussion about battle tactics, and while normally I enjoyed capture the flag, I found I was only half listening. Memories of the beach kept presenting themselves to my mind.

Had it been stupid to go out into the water? Probably. In fact, looking back I'm not entirely sure how Cassian had convinced me to do it, but I was glad I did. It had been fun. It was nice for a little while, to not care about who my father was and what it meant for me. I knew it wasn't reality, but part of me found I didn't care. It was that same part that wanted to do it again.

Maybe Cassian was right. Maybe I didn't have to be the daughter of death all the time. Maybe I could just be Evelyn.

This was a nice thought but it didn't last very long, because when lunch was dismissed and we stepped under the arch that led to the rest of the camp, someone shouted.

"NOW!"

The next thing I knew, I was drenched in freezing water that cascaded on to Micah, Maya, and I from above.

"What the-" Micah shouted furious as Maya pushed her sopping hair out of her face.

I looked up as more buckets were thrown, these ones filled with tiny strips of paper that fluttered on top of us and I realized, when the stuck to me, were cut outs of bones.

Laughter rang out from the Dining Pavilion as I stood there, soaked, in total shock.

"There you go Underfreaks." Said a nasty voice and I glanced at the top of the arch to see Broderick and his sister Vivian sneering down at us. "We thought we'd remind you of home."

Micah snarled and reached for his dagger, but before anything could escalate, there was the sound of galloping hooves.

"What's going on here?" said an angry voice and I saw that Chiron had arrived.

He looked furious.

The laughter died immediately and everyone who hadn't been involved started to shuffle away awkwardly, clearly hoping to avoid punishment.

Maya started to explain while Micah stood next to her, seething, his jaw locked, but I shook my head and walked away.

'Who are you kidding?' I thought savagely. 'Did you really think that people would let you forget who you are? That things here could ever change?'

I felt the temperature in the air around me drop as my hands balled into fists and dark thoughts chased themselves around my mind.

'What are we even doing here?' I thought bitterly. 'They don't want us here. Maybe it would be better if we did leave, looked after ourselves…'

"Hey Ev."

I'd been so distracted, I realized I'd walked right passed the Aphrodite cabin. Cassian was standing in front of it and he'd smiled when he saw me, but his expression turned to one of shock when he took in my appearance.

"What happened to you?"

Water was still dripping off me and bits of paper were caught in my hair.

He looked genuinely surprised to see me like this and I knew he couldn't have been involved, and while I usually didn't hold Cassian accountable to the action of his friends… I felt a swell of resentment surge through me.

He really did look the part of the perfect demigod. Tall, tan, and fit, but not too buff like most of the Ares campers. As always, his hair was perfect, and his light eyes were a striking contrast to his strong, attractive features. He was exactly what you'd expect a son of Aphrodite to look like, impossibly handsome. The picture of what a half human, half Olympian should be. There he was, perfect as always and here I was, soaked, disheveled, and looking particularly pathetic. I couldn't help but feel this moment epitomized the way we were seen here at camp. What the world thought and expected of us, and another stab of resent me went through me.

"Why don't you ask your friends?" I said acidly.

His confusion visibly increased.

"What?" he asked, but I turned and walked away, not bothering to explain. Too angry to do anything else.

Maybe I was being too harsh. Maybe it wasn't Cassian's fault and he hadn't been involved. But they were still his friends, they were still the people he hung out with, chose to be around.

More anger burned through me, like a fire that had started and was rapidly burning out of control.

How could he stand them? I mean, I know he wasn't the _best_ when it came to moral values considering his track record with the girls he dated but still. People like Broderick and the others like him, why would Cassian want to be around that?

I didn't want to admit it, but it was bothering me more than it should.

Maybe Cassian wasn't as bad as the others, but maybe that was what was bothering me so much. He wasn't like the others, he didn't hate me or my friends like so many of the other campers did, but even still he'd picked his side.

It didn't matter what he thought, because there were always going to be the others. It didn't matter what I did. How many people I helped, how many missions I went on, how hard I tried to keep my powers under control so I didn't scare the people who'd never understand them. Maybe he didn't care, but it didn't matter, because they always would.

A sick bitterness rose within me so quickly and with so much force, I found myself biting the inside of my cheek, and trying to ignore a dull ache in the back of my throat that accompanied a burning in my eyes.

'What is wrong with you?' I thought darkly, very aware of the energy radiating from me and the fact people were starting to give me a wide birth to avoid it as they passed me on the way to activities. 'You knew this.'

I'd always known there was a good chance that the Underworld campers might never be truly accepted here, no matter how hard we tried to fit in. So why was I getting so upset?

I knew the answer, but I didn't want to admit it to myself.

Admitting it meant it was real, and it was much easier to pretend I didn't care than confront the fact that I did, because for a little while this morning, Cassian had convinced me that it didn't matter who my father was. That there might be a chance that someday, someone like me could belong here.

But that wasn't reality. The reality was this. My father was the God of Death. My friends and I had a part of us that belonged to the Underworld, something people around here were just never going to accept. It was always going to matter. I could continue to delude myself, or I could own it and move on with my life.

I hadn't been aware of wanting to go back to my cabin, but I did have to change and I found myself standing in front of my mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked angry, but the longer I stared at myself, I couldn't help but see the anger start to fade. I couldn't help but feel like the more I looked at myself, the more I felt lost.

I wasn't ashamed of who I was. Was I aware that people didn't understand me or my friends? Yes. And while I didn't let it get to me, I used to. I felt like I was falling back into that trap and it scared me.

"You've got nothing to be ashamed of." I said quietly to my reflection. "You don't have to apologize for existing just because you're different."

I always liked to assume the best in people, because I'd like people to do that for me, and I tried to apply that to the other campers but right now, I couldn't help but feel like Micah was right about them. That we'd never be wanted here, and we'd be tolerated at best.


	7. Chapter 7

Cpov

Now I'm not saying all Ares campers are meat headed morons, but Broderick most certainly qualified as one.

While I was initially surprised to run into a drenched Evelyn, it took all of five minute to hear what had happened to her and her friends. It took even less time to figure out who was behind it.

"What the hell?" I snarled, cornering Broderick as he and a few of his siblings exited the stables.

"What do you want Cass?" he asked looking irritated but waving his brothers away when they instinctively backed him up. "No go ahead. I'll see you guys in a bit."

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about." I said furiously. "What did you do that to Evelyn for?"

"Why do you care what happens to the Underfreak?" he asked blandly, pushing past me and walking after his siblings as if this subject wasn't very interesting to him.

"Why do I care?" I asked indignantly, chasing after him, unable to believe someone could be so obtuse. "You remember who she is right? She's the most powerful demigod in camp. She could level this place if she wanted to and you'd be too busy battling an army of the undead to lay a finger on her. Are you seriously stupid enough to think that-"

"Evelyn's not going to do anything." He muttered his tone callous.

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do." He said simply. "And so do you. Besides, the freak had it coming."

This stunned me into silence for a moment.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"She had it coming." He repeated. "After what she did to Viv…"

"Are you kidding me Broderick?" I almost shouted in frustration. "Your sister had her friend at knife point. Of course she reacted the way that she-"

"You know what I've noticed about you Holt?" he asked, cutting me off. By the use of my surname, I knew to expect an insult.

I decided to go with a preemptive strike.

"Honestly, I'm shocked you had the brain power to pick up anything interesting on anyone." I said as we halted our steps, and faced each other. "You're more of a brawn type Broderick. Don't hurt yourself."

I expected an explosive reaction to this, but to my surprise, he smiled. It didn't reach his eyes and there was something off about it. Something I didn't like. And he continued to speak as if I hadn't just tried to offend him.

"You're very protective of the Underfreak."

"Why? Because I don't think it's a good idea to humiliate the Underworld demigods in front of the entire camp?" I asked sardonically. "Yes, how foolish of me. It's clearly outrageous to think that provoking a group of powerful halfbloods that already don't like us-"

"But you didn't ask about the other two, did you?" he interrupted, causing me to give him a blank look.

"What?"

"You only asked about Evelyn. Why I did it to her, not her and her friends. Leads me to believe you don't really care so much about them, or the other Underworld kids. So," he smirked. "What's so special about the Underfreak?"

I wasn't sure how to answer that, one because he had a point, and two, I didn't like the smug look that he was giving me.

"You know you'd better be careful Holt." He said in a mock cautionary tone. "Because the way it appears to me, you might actually _like_ her." He gave me a significant look. "In fact, I'd go as far as to say you could actually care about her." He let out a hollow laugh. "How well do you think that would go down with our friends?"

Again, I had no response and he gave me another smirk before saying.

"Just a thought."

With that he turned and walked after his siblings and I watched him go, feeling a frown mar my features.

I shouldn't let Broderick get to me. He was an idiot after all, and he didn't like me. Of course he'd tried to get under my skin, but still…

Why was I getting so irritated? I mean, _he_ wasn't the one who had to deal with Evelyn's anger. It was sort of my job to talk to the Undeworld campers for others when they needed something from them, this was only going to make my life harder, but if I was honest with myself, when I'd heard about what happened, I wasn't thinking about how I could fix the situation. I was just angry. Furious that he'd done that to them, well... her.

But so what? Did it really matter if I'd started to care a little about Evelyn since I'd gotten to know her? It wasn't that big of a deal.

I shook my head and followed him at a slower pace, heading back towards the cabins, deciding I might as well try and talk to Evelyn so I could smooth things over.

It wasn't long before I found myself outside the Hades cabin. I raised my fist, about to knock on the door when I hesitated. Was Broderick right? Was I getting too involved?

Usually when I'd interact with Evelyn, I took the role of a middle man, dealing with her or her friends for someone else, but lately, it seemed like the lines had been blurred. No one had asked me to be here. On the walk over I'd justified it to myself saying it would be good just to make sure she wasn't upset, but again, Broderick was right. Even if she was angry, she wasn't going to do anything about what happened earlier.

The fact was, I was here for me. I wanted to know if she was ok.

I debated for a moment, a war raging within me, as I stared at the dark obsidian walls in front of me. Torches of green fire were burning next to the door above which rested a skull. I knew how weird it would look for me to be standing out here, what people, especially Broderick, would make of it.

"Screw Broderick." I muttered and knocked.

No response.

I was about to walk away when I thought I heard movement from inside, so I knocked again, harder this time and I heard steps coming towards the door.

"Jeez Micah," Evelyn's voice said as the door swung inward. "I heard you the first time you don't have to-"

But she cut herself off, her dark eyes surprised when they landed on me.

"Cass?" she asked, as if she couldn't quite believe it.

It was then I'd realized, I'd never been in the Hades cabin before. The light in the hall was dim, and I couldn't make much out, but I thought I could see jewels glittering farther down the hall.

"Hey," I said for some reason feeling a little awkward. "I'm guessing you were expecting someone else?"

"Micah's usually the only one who comes here," she said cautiously. "What… what are you doing here?"

While she'd changed her clothes, her hair was still wet and a surge of anger towards Broderick and his sister went through me. I ignored it though and focused on Evelyn in front of me.

"Look, Broderick's a jerk." I said with a sigh. "I wanted to check on you, see if you were alright."

It was at that moment, I knew I'd made a mistake in coming here. Her expression hardened and her eyes went blank as the air between us froze.

"It was just water."

"I know," I said faltering under the look she was giving me. "But still."

"Still what?" she asked coldly and I was surprised by this. She was never this hostile, at least, not to me.

I didn't respond and she raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything." I said honestly. She looked as if she didn't believe me.

"You always want something." She said quietly, her eyes flashing. They looked forbidding.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"And if I wasn't?" she challenged.

That threw me for a loop.

"Uh, what?" I asked uncertainly.

"What if I wasn't ok?" she asked evenly, but her tone was dark. "Were you going to do anything about it? What exactly was the plan here?"

I hadn't considered that and I looked at her not exactly sure how I should proceed. Evelyn never lost her cool so I hadn't really thought of it as an option. I'd expected to come over here and for her to say it was ok, or even if she didn't, that she wouldn't be too angry. But what if she had been? I mean, she had every right to be, if I had to put up with half the things she and her friends did I would have been furious, but she never let stuff like this get to her before.

If she had been mad though, well, what exactly could I do? I might be able to put Broderick back in his place for a day or two, but we both knew he wasn't going to change. I couldn't force people to like Evelyn and her friends. Gods, my own sister couldn't understand why I even spoke to her.

I didn't have an answer, and she seemed to know it. I could sense danger in the expression she was giving me.

Eventually, she made an irritated noise and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You should probably go." She said quietly reaching up to shut the door, but I held it open.

"C'mon Evelyn…" I said frowning.

"Let go of the door Cass."

"Don't be like that."

"Be like what?" she snapped her eyes hard and while there were plenty of things I wanted to say, none of them made it into words.

"You should probably get out of here," she said quietly, avoiding my eye. "Before your friends catch you talking to the Underfreak."

"Don't call yourself that." I said annoyed and she let out a dry laugh, her gaze meeting mine this time.

"Why not?" she said, her words acerbic. "It's what everyone else calls me."

"Ev-"

"Just drop it," she said shaking her head, but she didn't sound angry anymore. She sounded tired. "You've got your friends, I've got mine. It's probably best if it just stays that way."

And with that she stepped back into the dark hall and closed the door on me.

I stood there for a moment in shock. She'd just shut me out. Girls didn't do that to me, no, in fact, no one at camp did that to me. Even if people didn't like me they never just shut me out. I was so surprised, all I could do was stand there like an idiot for a few seconds until I realized what I was doing.

Part of me was tempted to simply follow her in, but I knew that would be a bad idea. Another part of me wanted to knock until she opened the door again, and if it had been anyone else I might have, but I knew she wouldn't come.

So, with nothing else to do, I walked away from the cabin, shoving my hands in my pockets, not really sure what to make of this feeling.

Not knowing what to do or think, I walked to my next activity, nodding and waving to the people who greeted me. Eventually, a few of my friends caught up with me. They wanted to plan a party on the beach after the capture the flag game and while I tried to pay attention to the details, I found I couldn't. My mind was in other places, well… one place.

It was back in the Hades cabin where it seemed Evelyn was alone, reclusing back to her own dark little world. One that didn't involve me, and one in which I was sure her friends and the rest of the camp wanted her to stay.

Epov

I ran through the woods, Micah hot on my heels as we dodged arrows and spears, darting between the trees several people on our tail.

"Got a plan?" he asked ducking under a branch and muttering a quick spell.

I heard a shout of pain and a thud as one of our pursuers hit the forest floor, hard.

"Yeah," I said between pants. "Keep running."

I had the other team's flag and we were almost back to our territory, but they weren't far behind us and we were greatly outnumbered.

A grenade went off somewhere to our right, and we dove for cover into a clearing, throwing our hands over our heads trying to avoid shrapnel.

People were shouting and everything around us was chaos.

Flash bombs went off disorienting me as figures darted between blasts of light and noise. I tried to find a shadow to manipulate but was forced to cover my eyes from the blaze. By the time my ears had stopped ringing and I could see again, Micah and I were surrounded.

"Well shit." He muttered as campers from the Hephaestus, Apollo, Ares, and Athena cabins circled us, encroaching from all sides.

We both raised our swords.

"How much magic you got left?" I asked him.

"Almost nothing." He admitted and I gritted my teeth. This was not good.

"I think you've got something of ours Underfreaks." A voice said and I saw Broderick's massive form break from the group. "We want it back."

"What do you think?" Micah asked as they started to advance, weapons raised, all pointed towards us. "Can we get a little help from the Undead?"

"Probably not." I admitted quietly as we put our backs together, ready to fight. "I'm at my limits too."

Because we were so outnumbered, Micah and I had been the only ones on our team sent over enemy lines. Most of our team had been devoted to guarding our flag. This meant Micah and I had to spend a lot of power just to make it to theirs.

He swore again. We were going to have to fight this out, and considering the numbers and our lack of powers, it looked like we were going to lose.

I wasn't looking forward to being captured by Broderick or any of the Ares siblings, and was frantically trying to come up with an escape plan when suddenly, the air around us chilled. With the flash bombs exhausted, the shadows around us started to swell as the light peeking through the branches of the tree started to dim. Seconds ago, where the sky had been tinted orange by the setting sun, darkness was creeping across it.

Both Micah and I smiled.

"Maya." He muttered in satisfaction, his expression proud as the campers around us looked around in confusion.

"What the-"

But everything around us went black and I heard a voice say.

"C'mon!"

A hand grabbed mine and my sight was restored.

Maya, who's powers gave her perfect night vision, had clearly extended her abilities to Micah and I as she dragged us between members of the other team, who were all stumbling around in the perceived darkness.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Maya in amazement as we started to run.

"I thought you guys might need some back up." She explained. "We weren't getting a lot of action at my post so, I came to check things out. See if you guys needed help."

"You are amazing." Micah said with a laugh, beaming at his girlfriend with adoration, and almost smacking face first into a branch as a result of not paying attention.

She smiled and we sprinted for our territory.

It was close, but eventually we made it to the creek that served as the boundary between the two team's sides. Scouts from Broderick's team had intersected us, but there were only three of them.

"You two go ahead," I said tossing Micah the flag which he caught and I took out my sword. "I'll cover you."

He and Maya shot off towards the water while I turned, readying my weapon.

Immediately, the scouts hesitated and I knew they weren't keen on the idea of taking on a child of one of the Big Three without a game plan. They hadn't realized I was running on empty. I could work with that.

I didn't have much reserve left, but they didn't know that. All I had to do was make them think I was ready for a fight, Maya and Micah weren't far from our territory. It wouldn't take long.

"Who's first?" I asked grinning as they fanned out, clearly preparing to rush me.

They charged in unison, the two on the flanks rushing with a spear each, while the center trained a bow on me.

I felt the shadows around me twist up my form automatically, and I disappeared.

"W-What? Where'd she go?" the boy with the bow asked turning his head wildly before I tackled him into the ground.

The other two, a girl and boy from the Apollo cabin rushed to his aid, but I was already on my feet. They still couldn't see me, but I knew I couldn't keep it up much longer. Already I could feel my fingers shaking with the effort of controlling the last of my power.

I easily grabbed the girl's spear and snapped it, tangling her in the nearest shadow, and turning to face the last remaining scout. He was younger than the other two had been, I put him at about twelve or thirteen, his armor was too big, as was his helmet and he clutched his spear like it was his life line.

"Wh-where are you?" he asked his voice shaking, his wide eyes darting around in terror while his friends tried to disentangle the girl from the shadow.

I thought about disarming him, but when I caught his expression, I lost all interest. He was scared. Scared of me.

With a sigh, I stepped out of the darkness and allowed him to see me. My sudden appearance must have startled him because he let a cry of shock and raised his spear, pointing it at me, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white. He put on a brave face, but I could see his lip quivering and the fear in his eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I said sheathing my sword.

He didn't lower his weapon.

"Go help your friend." I said gesturing toward the girl, and the first scout, who were still struggling with the shadows that bound her.

I turned and walked away, feeling his eyes and weapon trained on me. When he was convinced I really was leaving, I heard a scuffling of footsteps as he ran to his teammates.

The game didn't last much longer. It was about five minutes later that I heard the horn go off, signaling the end of the game.

I jogged back to my territory to see my friends had gathered, with Micah and Maya on their shoulders as together, they held up the captured flag.

Everyone was laughing and cheering as they walked, celebrating the win. I smiled and jogged over to them.

We made our way back to the main part of the camp, meeting up with the other team just before we hit the edge of the tree line.

Several of them glared at us, clearly irritated we'd won, but we ignored them, still enjoying our victory. We'd made it out of the woods and were about to join the rest of the camp at the campfire when there was a loud shout.

"CASSIAN HOLT, YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

Everyone stopped and turned towards the girl storming towards us, tears and fury in her eyes. It was April, still dressed in armor from the game, and she was distraught.

"WHERE IS HE? WHEN I FIND HIM I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

She barreled through the crowd that was headed towards the campfire, pushing people out of her way as she searched, looking a little crazy.

Immediately, people looked towards the Aphrodite cabin, scrambling to get out of her path as she raged.

I saw Micah and Maya glance at each other looking a little surprised, but I had a feeling I knew why April was upset.

She must have found out.

People started to whisper, a variety of emotions sweeping through the faces around me. But as more people arrived trying to find the reason behind the commotion, the crowd seemed to make a collective decision. All at once it migrated in mass after April to watch the show down.

It wasn't long before Cassian was found. While I was pretty sure most guys would have been terrified to find their girlfriend, heavily armored and carrying a weapon, coming for them, Cass didn't look phased. His composure was almost intimidating, he was scarily calm. He walked towards the crowd, his hands in his pockets, followed by a few of his siblings including Angela, who looked a bit worried. He, however, did not. His expression was neutral, in fact, he almost looked bored.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at his reaction. This wasn't the first time he'd been confronted like this, and I was certain it wouldn't be the last.

Campers quickly cleared the space between them as a circle began to form around the couple. It was clear the lines were being drawn between the two sides, Cassian, his siblings and his friends vs. April, her siblings and her friends.

"We should go." Micah said quietly. "This doesn't involve us."

Several of our friends looked as if they agreed with him, and while Maya grabbed my arm to drag me away with the rest of them, I didn't move. I was too focused on what was going on in front of me.

"Ev-" Micah started but his voice was drowned out by April's as she glared daggers at Cassian, her words shaking with fury.

"How could you?" she asked as he considered her. "Amy told me everything! How could you do this to me?"

More tears formed in her eyes as she spoke, but she didn't look sad. She looked pissed and from what Cassian said next, I didn't blame her.

He looked at her for a good thirty second before responding, and when he did his voice was calm, almost disinterested.

"What exactly did you expect?"

I could feel the tension rise in the campers around me as silence stretched between them and April looked astonished.

"What did I expect?" she asked incredulously. "What did I expect? I expected you not to cheat on me!"

"Why?" he asked starting to look as indignant as her.

"Why?" she shrieked. "Are you kidding me Cassian, are you seriously asking me why I expected-"

"Yes," he said cutting her sounding irritated. "What on Olympus made you think you were different from anyone else I've dated?"

What he said seemed to divide the on lookers. Some people looked incensed, as if they couldn't believe Cassian was being so callous, whereas others seemed to think he had a point.

"You knew what you were signing up for when you agreed to go out with me. Why are you so angry I did exactly what everyone knew I was going to do?"

I hadn't noticed when my friends had slipped away, but at some point, I became aware that I was standing on my own now. Micah was probably right, this wasn't my business and I should probably get out of here before I somehow got involved. I didn't want to pick a side, but when Cassian's eyes landed on me, a new emotion flickered across his features. He shut it down quickly, but I noticed he didn't look nearly as composed and I found whether I wanted to or not, I already had chosen a side.

April looked at Cassian a range of emotions crossing her features, confusion, incredulity, heart break. She continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"I thought… I thought…"

"What?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "That things would change because you were different? That it wouldn't happen this time? That I would change for you?" he scoffed. "Please."

His tone was derisive, cold, and full of distain. April just continued to stare, as if she couldn't quite believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Eventually, she did speak however.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"What made you like this? Why are you so cruel?"

At this he let out a laugh, but it was patronizing.

"Don't make this about me April." He said shaking his head. "You can try to take the moral high ground her but you've always known who I was. How I act. It never bothered you before."

He gave her a knowing smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"You only had a problem with it when it affected you. Just like every other girl before you who didn't care what happened to the one before her. Not as long as you get what you wanted. Who cares how the others felt?"

These words sparked her rage back into life.

"Is that how you justify this?" she asked also laughing but it was sarcastic. "What you tell yourself to help you sleep at night? That it's ok to hurt the people who care about you because they should know better. That if they don't see it coming they _deserve_ it?"

Her words had an effect on him. For the first time, anger flashed across his features and people started to whisper.

"Care about me?" he asked with distaste. "You think you cared about me?"

"Of course," she said in disbelief.

"Name one thing you 'care' so much for about me then," he said with a sardonic inflection on the word. "Why don't you tell me one thing you like about me April? If I was so cruel, why would you want to be with me? If I didn't look the way I do, would you have even cared if I'd shown any interest?"

She faltered under his glare. He was as angry as she was now and people were starting to look uncomfortable. I noticed Angela looked conflicted, as if she knew Cassian was in the wrong, but couldn't help but feel sorry for him at the same time.

"The truth is April, you're no better than me. You don't care about me, you care about the idea you created of me in your head. The only difference between us was that I didn't pretend this was something it wasn't."

April seemed not to know what to say. Her eyes were burning with fury but her lip was quivering. Cassian however, didn't seem to care. I had a feeling he knew what he'd done was wrong, but was too angry at the situation he kept finding himself in to bother changing.

With one final look of contempt, he turned and started to walk away from the crowd.

Whispering broke out again, people swapping opinions of what had just happened, but it was cut short when April called after him.

"You are so full of crap Cassian." She said acidly.

He turned to face her, apparently surprised at this reaction.

"Don't pretend like you have feelings." She spat. "Don't act like there's a reason for the things you do. You're nothing more than a selfish, low-life cheater, someone who's ugly on the inside. People are going to see you for who you really are. I'll make sure of it."

At this he gave her a slight smile. As if what she'd said amused him.

"We'll see." He said quietly then continued to walk away.

A few of his siblings looked at April a little awkwardly before following him back to their cabin. Angela was the last to leave, she continued to look at April and I noticed she looked extremely worried.

I knew why. While this wasn't the worst blow up with an ex girlfriend Cassian had been involved in, there was something about what April had said that made a strange feel of anxiety gnaw at the bottom of my stomach. It only grew worse when I saw Broderick, the head of the Ares cabin walk over to April, and escort her and her siblings back to their cabin, talking in low voices and serious expressions.

Girls had been angry at Cassian before, but this felt different. What April had said had sounded less like an insult and more like a threat. Unless I was mistaken, she had every intention for getting back at Cassian for what he'd done to her.

'It doesn't involve you.' I thought trying not to care as in twos and threes, people broke away from the crowd, all gossiping excitedly about what had just happened. 'This is none of your business.'

I'd just recently told Cassian myself that we belonged to different sects and it was probably better if it stayed that way. So why did I feel involved? I knew I shouldn't have cared, and that sometimes Cassian was an enormous jerk, but I couldn't help but feel on his side.

This made no sense. Where was this loyalty coming from? Maybe they were both wrong, but that didn't give him an excuse to do what he did. After all the things he'd done over the years, he probably did deserve a little pay back, but I was worried.

Something told me that whatever April had in mind was not little.

It looked like after the blow up everyone had decided to skip the campfire, and I found myself walking back to my cabin on my own still feeling anxious.

'Do NOT get involved.' I thought. 'Let the Olympian kids figure out their drama on their own.'

I stepped inside the dark cabin and went straight to my bed, trying to think of anything other than Cassian and his friends. I had little success. Something told me the nightmares were going to be worse tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for all the reviews/messages/follows/favorites! I really appreciate the encouragement! It really helps! Hope you like the latest chapter

~ Secrethalfblood

Cpov

I won't lie, that night was rough. While my siblings had had my back, and I knew they would support me in almost anything I did, no one seemed to want to look me in the eye when we made it back to the cabin either. The Aphrodite children didn't exactly have a stellar reputation when it came to relationships around camp, and when it came to nights like this, I wasn't exactly helping. I didn't have to get the silent treatment to know they were getting frustrated about it.

Eventually, one by one they went to bed and I found myself standing alone on the porch, staring into the night, thinking about the situation I'd landed myself in.

When I thought about it objectively, I knew I'd been stupid. Was April like every other girl who cared more about being my girlfriend than me, yes. But did she deserve what I did to her...? Probably not.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I was going to be the bad guy around camp for the next few days, I knew I would be, and while I found this to be a little unfair, I also knew people would get over it. They always did. I was starting to think it didn't matter who I offended or what I did. People were always going to like me, or at least pretend to.

I wasn't sure why but this frustrated me. I was both irritated that people weren't going to like me for the next few days, but also annoyed that they'd get over it. I didn't understand it, but I found myself thinking at this point, it looked like nothing short of a homicidal rampage would get people here to turn on me permanently.

I thought about this for a while, trying to make sense of why being liked would upset me. It didn't make much sense but in the end, I could only come to one conclusion. Maybe it wasn't so much whether people liked me or not that bothered me, maybe it was how easy it was for their minds to change. I mean, how much could someone really care about you if whether they liked you or not depended on the day and what everyone else was saying?

I heard the door open behind me and light spilled on to the porch.

"Lights out in ten minutes," Angela said hesitantly. "You going to head inside or do you want to keep sulking out here?"

The question was critical, but her tone wasn't and I looked over my shoulder. The light was behind her, her face in shadow so it was hard to make out her expression, but I thought she looked concerned.

"I am not sulking." I said flatly and she shrugged, but stepped out to lean on the bannister next to me.

"Things between you and April got pretty bad there for a bit." She said careful to keep her tone neutral and I did the same.

"I figured they would."

"Why do you do this to yourself Cass?" she asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"Try to make people hate you," she said frowning. "You're not this much of an ass. I know you aren't."

"What makes you say that?" I asked her. There wasn't much evidence supporting her claim, quite the opposite really.

"Because I'm your sister and I know you." She said giving me a shrewd look. "You're capable of being a decent person. You just go out of your way to act like a twit and I don't understand why. Why'd you have to be so horrible to April?"

I sighed and looked away from her. That was what I'd been wondering for most of the night. Why did I do that to her? Why did I always end up doing this in almost every relationship I'd been in? The truth was I wasn't sure.

I tried to come up with an answer for her but got nothing, so instead I went with something that was bothering me.

"You know she made me a Facebook account?"

"What?" she asked sounding confused.

"She made me a Facebook, like with photos and everything apparently, without telling me."

"But you hate social media." She said with a frown.

"Yeah." I said stiffly and while I intended this to be a throw away comment, she seemed to be thinking about it a lot.

"Did you ever think you should take a break from dating?" she asked hesitantly and I looked at her, surprised.

"Why would I do that?"

"I dunno." She said shrugging but I knew she was gearing up to a point because she continued with. "It's just, you always seem to be dating someone, or, well, multiple people. But you never really seem to particularly like any of them. I dunno, maybe if you took a break for a while, took some time for yourself, got to know girls better before you dated them…"

"Isn't that the point of dating?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "To get to know people better?"

"I'm going to ignore that because I know you're in a bad mood." She said loftily. "But I meant as friends. Maybe if you took dating off the table for a while, you wouldn't feel the need to be off looking for the next best thing."

I frowned.

"If you haven't noticed Ang, girls typically don't want to be friends with me."

"Well I guess you have a point." She said with a hint of amusement in her tone and while I'd tried not to think about her since she'd shut her door in my face earlier, Evelyn crossed my mind.

"Well," Angela said with a sigh after a moment of silence between us. "We should probably head inside. Try to lay low over the next few days. People aren't going to be happy with you but it'll blow over eventually."

"Yeah." I agreed and she stood from the rail.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said yawning and heading back inside.

I knew I should probably follow her, but I found myself looking at the other cabins thinking about what Angela had said. Maybe I should get to know someone better before I dated them, be friends. It was an interesting idea. The logic behind it was solid, but I wasn't sure how practical it was. My eyes landed on the Hades cabin. It was black and would have been impossible to see in the darkness, if it hadn't been for the two torches outside the door, throwing a pale, ghostly green light on the skull that rested above it.

In my mind's eye, I replayed once again the moment Evelyn had shut me out, part of me wanted to go back and walk right in, just to see what would have happened. Probably nothing good, but that didn't stop me from wondering.

Eventually, I did follow Angela back into the cabin and made my way to my bunk. The rest of my brothers were asleep already, but I found it took me a long time to drop off.

Tomorrow was going to suck, I knew it was, and I spent the next few hours tossing and turning over it. Eventually however, I managed to fall asleep.

My dream that night was weird.

 _I was in the middle of what looked like a war zone. Smoldering ruins of buildings lined me on either side, nothing left of them but some rubble and their supports. Around me the grass was torn, littered with armor and abandoned weapons. Fire had claimed much of what was left, charring the area, leaving it black and brittle._

 _I looked around in confusion. The battle looked as if it had been vicious, the destruction catastrophic, but it also looked recent. Despite this, there didn't seem to be any causalities._

 _This struck me as ominous._

 _The place looked as if it could have been bombed, yet there were no injured, no victors, not even a search party to try and evacuate those who might have been left behind._

 _I felt the hair on the back of my neck raise along with my alertness. Where was everybody?_

 _Looking for signs of life, I continued to wander through the debris trying not to panic. I wanted to get out of here, but I had no idea where 'here' was._

 _I kept walking, the beginnings of anxiety starting to creep it's way throughout me. I wasn't sure what I'd gotten myself into, but something about this place felt familiar._

 _It wasn't until I'd reached the last building that I stopped, and at first, I wasn't sure why. The wreckage was almost entirely black, and at first I thought that this must have been where the fire originated, but when I stepped closer, I realized that black was its original color._

 _"Weird," I muttered. Who'd make an entire structure this dark?_

 _Something to my right caught my eye. Under a splintered wooden beam, there was an object I couldn't quite make out, but something about it's shape felt familiar. I went to pick it up, but recoiled in horror when I realized what it was, my heart rate skyrocketing._

 _It was a skull._

 _I stood there, frozen in shock, adrenaline pouring into my veins. Eventually, I gained the sense to swallow my panic and look around. A quick survey of the wreckage told me there were no other body parts and I relaxed a little._

 _I glanced back at the skull trying to regulate my breathing and clear my thoughts. Something was tugging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Why did I feel like I'd seen this before?_

 _Just then, a memory as vivid as it was fleeting flashed in my mind's eye. A dark building, with torches of green fire by its door._

 _Ice shot through me, as terror quickly mounted and took hold._

 _I looked over my shoulder, feeling my eyes grow wide and my body go heavy with dread as slowly, the realization hit me. The buildings around me, or what was left was left of them, weren't just buildings. They were cabins. All of them._

 _This wasn't just a war zone, this was camp._

 _Tripping over the rubble, I sprinted from ruin to ruin trying to find something, anyone or anything to tell me what had happened. Where the rest of the campers were._

 _Nothing presented itself to me._

 _I ran through the camp to where I thought the others might have gathered. First the Arena, then the Armory, even the Dining Pavilion. Nothing. No one was here._

 _Every structure I came across looked as bad as the cabins, collapsed and crumbling in the aftermath of whatever had happened._

 _Finally, I went to the last place I could think that the campers would have retreated, scenes of truly horrific events filtering through my mind. Had the boundaries failed? Did monsters get in? Or had a God been angered? Had the camp offended someone? Was this all the doing of some immortal being and their divine wrath? How long had this gone on? And why wasn't I here for it?_

 _I noticed as I ran that cracks had fractured the ground in several places, creating deep chasms that seemed bottomless._

 _I'd hit one of these fissures when I spotted her._

 _Evelyn was sitting on the steps of the Big House alone, looking calm, but positively terror inducing. She was leaning forward, her arms on her knees, and her hands clasped over the hilt of her sword that had it's point driven into the ground. She was pretty battered, covered in wounds that looked as if they ran pretty deep, but she hardly seemed to feel them._

 _Her face was expressionless, her eyes dim, but I sensed a resignation behind them that held back what looked like a barely controlled fury that went to her core. It seemed to fade however, when she noticed me. They sparked with a detached sort of interest. As if my presence surprised her._

 _"Ev," I said in horror, the Big House looked as if it had taken considerable damage, but was still standing. "What happened here? Where is everyone?"_

 _She continued to look at me for a moment, but she didn't say a word. It was then I realized that in my relief of finding someone, of getting some explanation of what was going on, I hadn't been gauging her reaction to me._

 _She didn't look upset, but she didn't seem happy either, or relieved. She just seemed mildly curious, as if she was genuinely surprised to find someone else in the wreckage, but it didn't matter much to her one way or the other._

 _I continued to look around what was left of the camp, my brain working into over drive trying to piece together what had happened here. A possibility occurred to me, and my blood ran cold._

 _'No.' I thought feeling a swell of anxiety rise within me my thoughts began to race. 'No, there's no way. She wouldn't. It's got to be something else. Anything else.'_

 _But uncertainty crept through me as I glanced back at Evelyn and her indifferent expression._

 _"Ev…?" I asked hesitantly, hearing my voice waver a bit._

 _Her eyes hadn't left me, and I saw something in her gaze. It was even, and somewhat defiant. Daring me to say what we both knew I was thinking._

 _"Ev," I repeated. "What happened here?"_

 _She didn't respond and panic set in. Greater than ever before._

 _"Evelyn, what did you do?"_

 _"They turned on me." She said quietly, looking over the wreckage._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _Her response was to nod over my shoulder where, slowly, one by one, figures started to come out of the woodwork. Their armor was broken, some pieces missing entirely, most of them were injured, and it looked as if they'd grabbed any weapon they could find._

 _There couldn't be more than fifteen of them. That was all that was left. They started to set up a formation. Slowly, Evelyn got to her feet, the rage seeping back into her eyes._

 _I recognized several faces in the group, Vivian, Mandy, Andrew, and several others, the toughest campers, veteran fighters. Broderick was at their head, staring Evelyn down, murder in his eyes while she glared right back. Their intentions were clear. They weren't in the arena anymore. This was a fight to the end._

 _"Ev, no, wait." I said horrified as both sides readied their weapons._

 _"Why?" she asked letting out a humorless laugh, looking away from Broderick just long enough to give me a slightly bitter smile. "You think they won't do it to you?"_

 _There was a battle cry as the campers started rushing, their last-ditch effort. The camp's best vs. one of the best there had ever been, and yet, instinctively I knew they were no match._

 _I shouted, running towards them, trying to make them stop but it was too late. There was a low rumble as the earth began to shake. The ground began to crack between the formation and Evelyn, and skeletons started clawing their way out of the ground._

 _I kept running, time suddenly moving in sluggish slow motion. Each step I took dragged out, the two sides had met, weapons clashed…_

I woke up late to an empty room. Sunlight filtered through the windows, causing me to wince when I looked out one. By the light it appeared to be late morning, and when I glanced at the clock on my nightstand, I saw I had missed breakfast.

I groaned and rolled on to my stomach, burying my face in my pillow, part of me considering just going back to sleep as the events from last night came drifting back to me.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed there, dreading facing the day, but eventually I forced myself out of bed.

I went through my usual morning routine, grabbing clothes, a towel and my shower things, not really paying much attention to anything. I was about to head out of the room, when movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

I glanced to my left and realized the movement had been my reflection in the mirror by the door. What I saw made me freeze, clothes and bottles falling to the floor.

"What the-" I said touching my face in horror, the person in the mirror reflecting the movements, but… but it couldn't be. The stunned person looking back at me, wasn't me.

"No, no, no." I said backing away, shaking my head to refusing to believe what I saw.

This had to be a dream, a nightmare. I was still asleep. That was the only explanation for what was happening right now. I was a son of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, sons of Aphrodite did not look like… like _that_.

But the longer I stood there, staring at my reflection, trying to force myself awake, the more I felt my certainty fade. I wasn't waking up. This wasn't a dream, this was reality and something was very _very_ wrong.

Panic gripped me as I tried to reason what had happened, to make sense of what I was seeing. Thoughts spiraled and whirled through my mind, chasing each other, trying to find an explanation when they snagged on something April had said last night. Everything came to a screeching halt, and a chill went through me as I stared at my reflection, her words echoing through my mind.

 _'Someone who's ugly on the inside. People are going to see you for who you really are. I'll make sure of it.'_


	9. Chapter 9

Cpov

'Ok, first things first.' I thought as I walked through the camp, my head down at my eyes averted from anyone that came near me. 'Don't panic. You need to keep calm. You might be jumping to conclusions. For all you know, you might not be the only one this has happened to. Maybe something is going on with the entire cabin. It might have nothing to do April or you…'

I pulled my hood up farther as I passed a couple of sisters from the Hermes cabin, hoping they wouldn't notice me.

I wasn't that lucky.

By the whispers I caught as I hurried away, they hadn't recognized me. But they did think it was weird that the 'new kid' was wearing a hoodie in the middle of the summer.

'Ok,' I thought trying to focus on something, anything to keep my thoughts straight. 'Ok. This is good. They didn't recognize you. No one suspects anything…'

I went to run my fingers through my hair, only to remember most of it was gone. Cut brutally short into almost non-existence over the night.

I tried to push away the memory of my reflection in the mirror, force it out of my mind, but it wouldn't budge. Acne scars, giant ears, uneven teeth… It was as if whatever had happened to me, had taken all of my features and altered them, some were exaggerated, others were just off. Each time I thought about it, I noticed another flaw.

'Focus Cass,' I thought shaking my head and avoiding the eyes of yet another group of campers. 'You need to figure out what happened. You need someone's help.'

My first thought was April, but I immediately dismissed it. 24 hours ago, she might have been the one I would have gone to, but I had a feeling even if she wasn't behind what was going on, she wouldn't be all too happy to help.

As I walked, I went through a mental list, trying to think of people I might be able to go to to try and figure out what to do next. I came up with nothing. Just yesterday I might have been the one to go for about information around camp, but I didn't want anyone to see me like this. What would they say?

Part of me wanted to believe that they would want to help me, but I had a feeling if April was behind this, it wouldn't be that simple. I knew I'd pissed a lot of people off by hurting her. She was pretty well liked around camp and last night I'd probably made a few enemies, not to mention now that I was no longer in her good graces, I was pretty sure Broderick might consider it open season on all things related to Cassian Holt. That was a problem I would like to avoid.

I paused in the shade of a beech tree a bit away from the cabins and thought. I couldn't stay hidden forever. It was hot and eventually I'd have to take this hoodie off, but still, I couldn't let people see me like this. What should I do?

I thought for several minutes, but could only come to one conclusion. I couldn't go to friends, not with this. I'd have to go to my siblings, but honestly, that prospect was almost worse.

If I was worried about what the camp might think about my current appearance, what were my brothers and sisters going to say? They didn't like it if you didn't brush your hair before leaving the cabin, what would they say to me if I turned up to them looking like _this?_

'It's not permeant.' I thought, or maybe hoped. 'You'll be fine. Just get a better picture of what you're dealing with and they'll help you decide what to do from there.'

I stalled for a bit longer mainly because the thought was so unpleasant, but eventually I knew I had to do something. I decided to look for Angela. When it came to appearance, she might have been the most judgmental person on the planet, but she was also the sibling I was on best terms with. Probably the person in camp I was on best terms with really. She cared about me. Hopefully more than she cared about how I looked. I'd found throughout my life, that wasn't a luxury I had with most people.

Sticking to the shadows, it took a while for me to find her, even longer to find a moment when she was alone, but I finally caught her on her way towards the strawberry fields.

She'd just made it past the Big House and for once, there were no other campers in sight. She walked passed me, clearly without noticing but when I reached for her shoulder to get her attention, I found I hesitated again. I didn't want to do this.

But I had to, and now might be my only chance.

"Ang." I said quietly.

She stopped, obviously recognizing my voice, when she turned however, I caught her expression. I'll never forget the look she gave me.

The thing about being attractive, is people give you the benefit of the doubt. They _want_ to like you, and they want to be liked by you. Is it fair? No. But that's just the way things are. People automatically want to think you're a good person, and they're willing to give you their time no matter what you're really like. I'd never had a problem getting things from someone. I could tell it wouldn't be that easy this time.

"What do you want?" she asked. Subtext, why is someone like you talking to someone like me?

Her expression was irritated and her tone was unkind. It was clear she didn't recognize me, even more so, that at face value, she didn't think I was worth her time.

"Ang." I said feeling a stab of shock and something close to pain go through me. She really didn't recognize me. "It's me."

Another blow went through me as her eyebrows shot up.

"Am I supposed to know what you mean by that?" She asked harshly. She had no idea who I was.

"It's me." I repeated, not really knowing what else to say. "Cassian."

At this she let out a derisive laugh.

"Right. You're Cass."

She rolled her eyes and turned, continuing to walk towards the fields.

"Ang, it really is me."

"Leave me alone dude." She said sounding irritated again.

"But-"

"Go bother someone else."

I stared after her, utterly dumbfounded. She didn't believe me, the one person in the camp I was sure would help, and she wanted nothing to do with me.

I didn't know what to do. She was walking away and I had to think of something fast.

Not knowing what else to say, I blurted.

"Last summer when we were cleaning the stables, you tripped and landed face first in the mud in one of the stalls. You said if I told anyone you'd get Broderick and his siblings to tie me to a tree in the forest and let the monsters get to me."

She froze and turned back to look at me, her eyes wide in shock.

"How do you know that?" she asked suspiciously. "No one else was there."

"I was there." I said. "It's me."

She frowned for a moment as she stared, clearly unconvinced, but slowly, I could see the change in in her eyes. They went from suspicion to horror as they realized the truth.

"Cass?" she asked quietly.

I nodded.

"Cass, what… what _happened_ to you?"

Her tone was stunned, disbelief evident on her face. I found it didn't improve my mood, only fueled the barely controlled panic I was trying to suppress.

"I'm not sure." I said shaking my head. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, but I think April's behind it."

"That would make sense." She said quietly and there was a silence between us that was heavy. She clearly didn't know what to say and I realized this wouldn't be as easy as I thought.

"I need your help." I said eventually.

I could tell by her expression this made her uncomfortable. She glanced over her shoulder in an automatic motion, as if unaware of what she was doing and a cold sense of dread went through me as I realized what it meant. She was looking for other campers. She didn't want to be seen with me.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" she asked hesitantly.

The motion had hurt, but I knew didn't have time to dwell on it. I decided to ignore it for now.

"Ask around, see if you can get any information about what happened to me, who's behind it. Like I said, I think it was April but I'm not sure. I'd do it myself but…"

I let my voice trail off and she nodded, seeming to understand. I didn't want to be seen like this, she wouldn't have either.

There was another pause, this one more awkward than the first and I had to break it.

"So." I said quietly. "Will you do it?"

Her expression was conflicted and for one, heart breaking second, I thought she was going to say no. But her eyes met mine, and her gaze softened. It still took a moment, but eventually she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah." She said sounding tired. "Yeah. I'll ask around. See if we can figure out what's going on."

"Thank you."

"In the meantime. What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Try to stay out of sight." I said desolately. "Maybe I'll go to the Big House. See if I can find any records of something like this happening."

"Alright." She said with a nod. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

She gave me one last look, apparently wanting to say something. I waited but nothing came out. She simply shook her head and turned back to the strawberry fields leaving me on my own.

I waited a few seconds, wondering what she wanted to say but decided I shouldn't dwell on it. If I was here much longer I was bound to run into someone and I didn't want that. So, glad it was the weekend and I didn't have any activities I had to report to, I made my way towards the Big House, avoiding the eyes of other campers and hiding under my hood.

….

I spent my entire day in the Big House, more specifically the attic. I didn't like the attic, it was dark, hot, filled with spider webs, and significantly creepy, but there was a lot up here and people rarely visited. I wanted to be alone and if there was any place that might have a random record filed away that might be able to help me, it would be here.

I tore through boxes and crates, reading any book or scroll I came across trying to find anything that might help me in my situation, but so far, I'd come up empty.

I was tired and I was hungry, but I was ignoring my stomach. Food meant the Dining Pavilion and there was no way I was going there.

I was going through the last box when I heard steps climbing up to the attic.

I looked over my shoulder to see a blonde figure emerge into the dimly lit room. It was Angela.

"I thought I'd find you up here." She said her nose wrinkling as she caught sight of a pickled hydra head. "Gods it's freaky. Any luck?"

"No." I said frowning. "You?"

She side stepped a battered shield, picking her way across the cluttered room over to me.

I could tell she was uncomfortable in the room, even more so by my altered appearance, but she ignored it and launched into her report.

"Well, I asked around like you said." She said with a sigh her eyes landing on mine. "And, well, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"I guess good." I said troubled by her expression.

"The good news is you were right. April managed to curse you. Not very many people were in on it, but I got it out of one of her sisters."

"What's the bad news?" I asked wondering how bad it could be if the good news was that I'd been cursed.

"Well." She said a little awkwardly. "I have no idea how to lift it, and I can't find anyone who's willing to help."

"Did you talk to April about it?"

"What are you nuts? Of course I didn't." she said giving me an incredulous look. "And I don't think you should either. The impression I got from her siblings was that she's still pretty pissed."

"There's gotta be someone who's willing to help."

"That's where things get worse." She said quietly.

"Worse?" I asked indignantly. "How could things possibly get worse?"

"April covered her bases." She continued. "People have noticed you haven't been around today. After the fight last night, they know something's up but they don't know what. Word around camp is, Broderick and his siblings have been going around threatening people. A lot of people were already on Aprils side after what happened. Now they're worried if they side with you, the Ares kids are going to go after them."

"This is insane." I said shaking my head, a hallow sense of horror creeping through me.

I sat on a nearby crate, putting my head in my hands. How could this be happening to me?

"So what do I do?" I asked feeling panic set in again. "I can't go around like this forever."

I had no idea how long the curse would last, if it even had a time limit. For all I knew this was permanent until I somehow got it removed.

"There's only one thing I can really think of." She said quietly and I looked up at her.

"What is it?"

"You have to find Mom."

There was a moment where neither of us spoke. I could see her line of thinking and it made sense. The curse had altered my appearance, my mother's powers heavily influenced a person's looks. There was a chance that she could over power the curse but the problem was, we didn't often know where she was. The Gods were fickle, they rarely stayed in the same place for very long especially when they were in the mortal world and my mother spent a lot of time here.

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked and she shrugged.

"I dunno." She said. "You can try to contact her, but you know how often she responds."

"Ang, that could take weeks. I won't last in the mortal world that long."

I wasn't a strong fighter, and outside the boundaries of the camp were monsters eager to find demigods like me. I didn't even have a weapon.

"I'm going to need help." I concluded. "I'll need someone to come with me."

I expected her to agree, even to offer some names of people she thought I should ask but she didn't. She didn't say anything, and I found I didn't like the expression she was giving me.

"What?" I asked confused. Why was she looking at me like that?

"Cass, I don't know what to tell you." she said softly. "I don't think anyone is going to come with."

"What do you mean? I've got plenty of friends."

For the second time today, Angela gave me a look I'd never forget. It took me a while to place, but she looked sad, and also a little sorry for me. No one had ever looked at me like that before and it took seconds before I realized what it was. When I did, I almost didn't believe it. It was pity.

"What?" I asked. Why did she feel sorry for me? I mean, yeah, I'd been cursed, but I had a plan. I was going to deal with it.

"Do you Cass?" she asked hesitantly and I was confused.

"Do I what?"

"Do you have friends?" she asked quietly.

I stared at her for a second, thinking this was a joke. When her expression didn't change however, and she kept silent, I was almost incensed.

"Of course, I have friends Ang." I said irritated. "You hang out with them."

She was still giving me that sorrowful look that I was starting to find intolerable. There was no reason to feel sorry for me. I'd figure this out and things would go back to the way they always were. I'd be attractive, I'd be popular. I was the last person who needed sympathy.

"Who exactly do you think is going to go with you?" she asked, injecting a note of common sense into her tone. "Broderick's made it pretty clear he's not going to let anyone help you, do you really think anyone is going to want to deal with that? For you?"

I thought for a moment, names and faces flitting in and out of my mind, none of them sticking.

"I-" I started but when she raised an eyebrow, I cut myself off.

"Cass," she said her voice gentle, but firm all the same. "I think you're on your own."

Her words hit me like a hammer, echoing inside my mind like an empty oil drum as a wave of hopelessness washed over me. She was right. I knew none of my friends would help me, not if it meant dealing with Broderick. And while I knew my siblings might want to help me, none of us were exactly great in the arena. Leaving camp for them would be just as dangerous as it was for me, and in the end, there was no guarantee that we'd even find my mother. That this was something we could fix. They'd be putting themselves in danger for something we didn't know could even be achieved. Who would do that?

"I told you not to push Broderick." She said with a groan as if she could hear the thoughts going through my head. "Why did you have to be so mean to April? To everyone? Why do you always have to push people away?"

I shook my head and put it back in my hands, closing my eyes. This couldn't be happening.

There was a pause where neither of us spoke, but eventually, I felt her give my shoulder a squeeze.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I wish I could help but..."

She seemed to run out of words however, because few moments later, I heard footsteps retreating from the attic and I found that once again I was alone.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, my thoughts sluggish and slow as I realized the situation I was in. She was right, no one was going to help. I was alone.

The words repeated in my mind, getting louder each time, more painful.

I was alone.

I was alone.

I was _alone._

No one was going to help me. I'd made sure of that by my attitude. Angela was right, all I'd ever done was push people away. Sure, I might be able to get what I wanted, charm people when I needed to but that was when I had the looks to get away with it. But that was gone and it wasn't until now that I really realized how well and truly pathetic that was.

What was I going to do? I had no one. If I stepped out into camp and people had saw what happened to me, there was nothing to stop them for laughing in my face. My only weapon was gone. What was stopping all the people I'd pissed off from turning me into a total outcast? A pariah?

Suddenly, I sat up, an idea sparking in the back for my mind. One so obvious, I wasn't sure why I hadn't thought of it before.

Angela was wrong. I wasn't alone.

There was someone who might help me. Who wouldn't care about what the rest of the camp thought because she'd never cared.

I stood so fast, I got a head rush that made me dizzy. I swayed for a second, and almost stumbled into a suit of armor. Quickly righting myself, I rushed to the door of the attic, racing through the Big House and out the front door.

Evelyn wouldn't care about Broderick and his threats, she was more than a match for him, and she always helped someone when they needed it.

But where was she?

I glanced at my watch. It was almost dinner time. If I was lucky I might catch her in her cabin. Hopefully she'd be alone.

But after five minutes of knocking at the Hades cabin, I was forced to conclude she wasn't there.

I searched several places in camp, not caring who saw me, hoping people wouldn't make the connection as I checked her usual spots. The arena, the climbing wall, and several other areas came up empty. Finally, not really sure why, I made my way to the beach.

She was there, but she wasn't alone.

It looked like most of the Underworld kids were gathered here. They were standing together talking, but she'd separated from the group and was looking over the Sound.

I knew things hadn't been great between us recently, but when I realized what she was doing, hope flared within me. She was looking at the waves.

"Hey Ev! Back up a little!" Micah called. "You're making me nervous that close to the water!"

She looked over her shoulder at her friends, but grinned when she saw them waving her over.

She jogged back to them, and it struck me as strange to seem them like this. Laughing and hanging out together. Usually they were all so tense. It took me a second to realize why, but I figured it out. There were no other campers here. Up until now, they'd always been on their guard, on edge, but at the moment they were totally relaxed. Right now, they weren't the Underworld campers. They just looked like regular kids.

Would that change once they realized I was here?

Knowing there was nothing for it, I took a deep breath and stepped out on the sand, approaching the group.

Micah was the first to spot me.

His arm was around his girlfriend and he'd been laughing at something she'd said. Immediately the laughter died. His eyes narrowed and tension entered the group as they turned to see what he was looking at.

"Who are you?" he asked harshly and I froze.

I could sense their unease as they looked at me. Some people like Micah, looked suspicious and I could see why. They hadn't recognized me, in their minds, an unknown camper was approaching them and they had no idea why. This didn't often happen and some of them, Maya in particular, looked wary but a little curious as well.

Evelyn however, was neither. Her eyes were narrowed, but not hostile. She looked a little confused.

"Hey," Micah snapped, clearly irritated and calling my attention back to him. "Are you deaf? What do you want?"

All of the sudden, a thrill of fear shot through me. This was the moment of truth. They didn't know who I was yet. I could turn around and try to figure something else out. Where as just a few minutes ago I was certain of this plan, now I wasn't sure I was ready to commit.

I'd been so happy I'd thought of a solution to my situation, I hadn't thought it through. But these kids weren't my friends. The only person I had a relationship here with was Evelyn, and she wasn't very happy with me right now.

Did I want to do this?

The decision was taken out of my hands however, when I looked back to Evelyn. Her eyes met mine, and immediately her expression changed. I was horrified to see a glint of recognition in her eyes, but before I could do or say anything, she'd spoken. Her voice was hesitant, as was her expression, but her eyes were sure.

"Cass?" she asked quietly.


	10. Chapter 10

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good weekend so far! Here's the latest chapter, hope you like it! Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/follows/messages of encouragement! It really helps keep me motivated to keep writing, I really appreciate it! It means a lot!

~Secrethalfblood

Epov

"Cass?"

From the moment I said it, everyone froze and looked at the boy.

He had a reaction to the name. He went rigid and I could see his was mind working, trying to decide what he wanted to do. By his expression, I could tell he felt cornered. I'd seen that look before. Instinctively, I knew he was about two seconds from either lying his way out of this or trying to run, but I decided not to give him that option.

"Cass," I repeated. "Is that you?"

"Pretty boy?" Micah asked in disbelief, his eyes narrowing as he studied the camper in front of us, before turning back to me. "No offense Ev, but are you blind? He looks nothing like him."

He was right, the boy looked nothing like Cassian, he was tall, but that was pretty much where the similarities ended. Something about his eyes however… I'd only ever seen one person with eyes like that and the longer I looked, the more certain I was.

His hair, what was left of it, was the right color. Cassian's skin had been flawless since I'd known him, and while this boy seriously needed to see a dermatologist, the face shape was the same. There other differences, the shape of his nose, the size of his ears. All of what was different making his features look a little off, but somehow, I just knew. This was Cass.

"What happened?" I asked and he hesitated for a second before answering.

"April." He said quietly.

A surge of understanding went through me as I realized what she must have done. But that didn't explain why he was here. Micah seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"So?" he asked suspiciously. "What does that have to do with us? Why don't you ask your friends for help?"

Cassian didn't answer and Micah's eyes narrowed, but to my surprise, it was Maya who spoke.

"None of them will help you, will they?" She asked quietly, her eyes full of pity.

It took him a while, but eventually, Cass shook his head.

"Well that's not our problem." Micah said harshly.

"I need your help." He said ignoring this and looking at me. "I need to find my mother. She might be able to fix this, but if I go out into the mortal world-"

"You need a body guard." Micah said, anger clear in his tone. "None of your friends would do it, so you thought you'd ask us."

Cassian didn't respond, but Micah wasn't having it.

"So that's why you're here is it? You need someone to act as a human shield so you can try to break a curse you brought on yourself?"

"I wouldn't put it that way…"

"Forget it." Micah snapped. "If you want to leave camp you can do it yourself. Why should we put ourselves at risk when-"

"Where do you think she is?" I asked Cass, cutting across Micah's sentence and he looked affronted.

"I'm not sure." Cassian admitted and Micah looked between us, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Ev, you can't be serious." He said incredulously, but when I hesitated, his indignation increased.

"He doesn't even know where she is!" he said furiously. "It's bad enough he's asking you to leave camp, but he doesn't even know where he's going. How long you'll be gone. Hades Ev!" he continued in frustration. "He can't even get his own friends to go!"

Several people nodded, a few murmuring words of agreement, but I didn't look away from Cassian. From the corner of my eye I could see that all of my friends were looking at me. I knew what they wanted me to say, what I probably should have said, but I found I couldn't. I wasn't sure what it was, if I was compelled to help people, even when it might have been stupid, or because it was Cass, but eventually I sighed.

"Come with me." I said gesturing for him to follow me as I made my way towards the path that led back to the camp.

"Ev-" Maya started but I held up a hand and she fell silent.

Micah wasn't as easy to manage.

"You're really going to do this?" he asked furiously, chasing after Cassian and I as he spoke. "Leave camp, put yourself in danger for _him_?"

"Micah, I leave all the time." I said patiently.

"But not for something like this!" he said indignantly. "Missions and quests alright, but you don't even know where you're going."

"I'll be fine."

When he realized he was getting nowhere, Micah changed his mode of attack.

"How can _you_ justify this?" he said rounding on Cass, who was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. "You're asking her to help you, to risk her life over something that could have been avoided. That you did to yourself."

"Give it a rest Micah."

"Ev-"

"Just stop." I said a little irritated and looking at him. "I've made up my mind."

At this he froze. His expression hurt and I knew why. I knew how Micah thought, how this would look to him, and I lot of my friends I guess. To them it would seem like I was choosing Cass over them and in some ways, I guess I didn't blame them. But they didn't need me right now. Cassian needed help, and from the looks of it, I was the only one that would.

Knowing I'd just have to deal with their reactions by the time I got back, I turned and continued walking. I'd managed to take several steps, Cassian not far behind me, when Micah called after us.

"He wouldn't do it for you."

I turned and looked at Micah. I expected him to be angry, but he looked upset. Even a bit afraid.

"You know he wouldn't. He knows it too."

He nodded towards Cassian and I looked at him. His expression was conflicted, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"I'll be fine Micah." I said trying to sound exasperated, but not quite sure I managed it.

Feeling a little less certain about my decision, I turned and continued making my way back to the cabins to prepare for the mission, not quite able to shake the mounting sense of uncertainty that was spreading through me, as well as the little voice in the back of my mind telling me this might be a mistake.

Cpov

I'd never been on a mission or a quest, so I wasn't exactly sure how things were supposed to go down, but I did have a general picture of what we were supposed to do. Which was why I was surprised when Evelyn led me to the Hades cabin.

"Not trying to tell you how to do your job or anything." I said looking around her room with interest as she went back and forth, throwing things like weapons, clothes, and various other essentials into a back pack. "But shouldn't we be going to the Big House? Talk to Chiron or something before we leave?"

"No." she said, her voice strained as she reached under her bunk, stretching for something apparently just beyond her reach.

"Why not?" I asked in surprise. From what I understood, anytime someone needed to leave the camp it had to be run through him. Evelyn might have left a lot, but that didn't mean campers could just come and go. He had a lot of kids to keep track of after all. An open door policy would have been chaos.

"Because we're not telling Chiron we're leaving."

"Wait, what?" I asked confused.

"Well, no offense Cass." She said her head disappearing under the bunk, her voice muffled as she continued. "As much as your current situation sucks for you, it's not really high on the camp's priority."

She emerged holding a dagger and a first aid kit.

"Chiron probably wouldn't send me on this mission if he was aware of it."

"So we're not telling anyone we're leaving?" I asked as she got back to her feet.

"People will figure it out eventually." She said.

Her tone was unconcerned but I frowned.

"Won't you get in trouble?" I asked and she shrugged.

"No more than you."

"But-" I started uncertainly, but she cut me off.

"Don't worry about it Cass. Chiron won't do much to me, he needs me available to help the camp. It's not like I'm going to be confined anywhere." She grinned a little at this. "Though it might be fun to see him try."

She stuffed the kit into her bag then looked at me.

"You got a weapon?"

"No."

"Here." She said, holding the dagger by the tip so it's hilt was facing me. Like her sword, it was made of dark, Stygian iron, the blade long, and tapered to a lethal point. Another person might have thought it was beautiful, and I guess in a way it was. The silver of the hilt glittered as the light struck it, but I'd never really liked weapons. I'd never had much use for them. I couldn't for the life of me think of why she was giving it to me.

"What?" she asked raising an eyebrow as I stared at her.

"What do you expect me to do with that?" I asked a little indignantly. I didn't fight, I was just as likely to hurt myself as an advisory if I tried.

I couldn't explain the expression gave me, it was somehow both blank, and incredulous at the same time, but after a pause, she said.

"If something attacks you," she said placing the dagger in my hand. "Kill it, before it kills you."

I felt a shock go through me, quickly followed by a creeping sense of unease. That was a little dramatic, wasn't it? I knew demigods lived dangerous lives, and I knew that Evelyn had probably seen her fair share of violence, but did she really think I'd have to kill something, even if it was a monster?

Apparently she did, because she didn't relent. I wanted to tell her how unlikely it was for that to happen, but something about her expression told me to keep my mouth shut.

"Thanks." I muttered, taking the dagger and putting it in my belt.

I looked around the room as she continued to pack, amazed at the sheer volume of things she could fit into the bag. She must have had a lot of practice.

From her personality, and the methodical approach with which she packed, I'd expected Evelyn to be neat, but she wasn't. The room wasn't a disaster, but clothes littered the floor in spots and she didn't appear to have a system for her things. Weapons and kick knacks seemed to be placed where ever with no organization involved on any surface she could find. The pictures and posters on the walls weren't straight, but that might have been intentional, and her bed wasn't made.

This surprised me. The cabins were supposed to be inspected. While this room probably wouldn't have failed, I knew Chiron probably wouldn't have put up with it very long if he knew.

I wasn't sure why this interested me so much, but I remembered what she said the other day when I'd come to check on her.

 _'Micah's usually the only one who comes here.'_

Were people avoiding her cabin during inspections?

I guess it didn't really matter. She was the only one in here after all, it's not like she'd bother anyone if she was a little messy but still… I glanced at the dark walls and décor. It was a little Halloweenish, but it wasn't _that_ bad.

My train of thought was interrupted, when she spoke.

"You should go pack." She said. Her bag was over her shoulder and her sword was at her hip. "Do you know what you need?"

"Not really," I admitted.

I expected her to get frustrated, seeing as by now she must have realized how beyond useless I was going to be on this trip, but she didn't.

"Go with the essentials, weapon, two sets of spare clothes, money, first aid kit if you have one. A book."

"A book?"

"You'd be surprised how much down time you have on some missions." She said tersely. "If you have a phone bring it, as well as the charger."

"Won't that lead monsters to us in the mortal world?"

"That's why we pack weapons." She said a little amused. "Besides, if we get separated, we need to be able to find each other."

"Alright." I said a little uncomfortable and she seemed to pick up on it, because the look she gave me was reassuring.

"Don't worry Cass, I'm not going to let you become monster chow." She nodded over her shoulder at the door. "Let's go."

She gave me a smile, then walked towards the exit, and it stuck me how different her behavior was from Angela's. When I'd been talking to Angela, she didn't seem to want to look at me. I knew she felt sorry for me, and wanted to help, but I could also tell I was making her uncomfortable, as if the change in her appearance had put a physical barrier between us. Even Maya had looked at me with pity, but with Evelyn it wasn't like that. Her behavior towards me hadn't changed at all.

For some reason, this made me feel a little better. At least the person I'd be with for the foreseeable future wouldn't be constantly reminding me about what had happened.

So, smiling a little, and feeling better than I had in a while, I followed her.

It didn't last long.

The second she opened the door, a burley arm reached through it and pulled Evelyn outside.

"Ev!" I shouted in shock, but before I could do anything, I was grabbed and tossed onto the grass in front of the cabin, hearing a familiar laugh.

"So, this is where you've been hiding Pretty Boy." Broderick's voice said as a hand seized the back of my shirt and my hood was ripped off my head. "Guess I can't call you that anymore can I?" he let out another cruel laugh. "Gods Holt, you look like shit."

Next to me Evelyn was struggling with a couple of the Ares siblings who were blocking her from me, but my view was obstructed by Broderick, who'd crouched in front of me, smirking as his eyes met mine.

"You know, not even I thought you'd have the nerve to ask the freak for help. Stooped that low have you? Doesn't matter I guess." He said with a shrug then looked up at the person behind me. "Bring him up."

I was forced to my feet, my arms pinned behind my back and I looked around in horror. Attracted by the commotion, the campers that were leaving dinner had made a b line for the cabins. Everyone was coming this way.

"How's it feel Cass?" a bitter voice asked from my right. I looked over to see April, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression dark and her eyes cold. "Being humiliated in front of everyone. Knowing people see you for who you really are?"

Panic closed in on me, constricting my chest until I felt I was going to be sick.

People were whispering. Broderick and his siblings had started to laugh, and quickly, others joined him. My heart rate increased and as well as my breathing as I was forced to look at the crowd. People continued to laugh, occasionally I spotted one of my siblings. Their expressions were horrified, but no one came to my defense. What could they do?

I tried to break free from my captors, but it was no use. I was forced to stand there, watching as the crowd grew. Word was spreading, more people were laughing. I didn't know what to do.

I heard a shout of pain to my left as well as a grunt behind me and suddenly, I was released. Evelyn had managed to throw off the Ares campers, but before she got to me, Broderick said.

"Oh no you don't Underfreak."

He went for his weapon, but Evelyn didn't mess around. She kicked him in the chest and he went flying, farther than I expected. He hit the ground hard and was immediately ensnared by shadows which trapped him in place.

He let out a shout of frustration as he tried to break free, but she didn't let him loose.

"Go jump in the lake Broderick." She snapped, venom in her tone.

She took my hand and stepped into a shadow. Everything went black and the next thing I knew, I was in the Aphrodite cabin, in my room.

Disoriented, I swayed and stumbled into a bunk. Evelyn caught and helped steady me.

"You alright?" she asked quietly.

I didn't answer. I couldn't even look at her.

This had to have been the most humiliating moment of my entire life, and both she and the entire camp had had a front row seat.

"Cass…" she started but I shook my head, cutting her off.

"Don't," I muttered darkly.

I didn't want sympathy, not from her.

Her hand was still in mine, and I was surprised by its warmth, but also how by small it was in mine. It felt comforting, not the sort of thing that should hold weapons that tore through monsters, even though I knew it did.

"We should get packing." She said after several moments of silence.

She made to pull away but I didn't let her go.

"Why are you helping me Ev?" I asked still afraid to look at her.

"Don't you want my help?"

"Yes, but why are you?"

I didn't want to, but eventually I faced her and her expression was hard to place. Not for the first time I found myself wondering what was going on behind her eyes. I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Well, if it were me, I'd hope someone would."

Her gaze met mine, and Micah's words came to my mind. His warning about me. Did she believe him?

Did I?

"You need to pack." She said managing to untangle her hand from mine this time and opening my trunk.

It didn't take long. Within minutes my book bag was full, and it was over my shoulder.

"You ready?" she asked as I double checked my trunk then closed it, zipping the bag shut.

"Yeah."

She extended her hand for me to take, but just as I reached for it, I heard the door of the cabin shut and voice called.

"Cass?"

It was Angela.

We both looked to the hall where footsteps were growing louder.

Evelyn glanced at me, her eyes asking the question she didn't need to say aloud.

"Let's go." I said quietly, taking her hand.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second as her eyes met mine. Then, without warning, everything went dark and cold, and I knew we'd left the camp and everyone in it, far behind.


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone! Sorry this took longer than usual. Been kind of crazy. Hopefully people like the latest chapter! Thank you to those who have encouraged me to keep the story going it really helps! Hope you like the new chapter!

~Secrethalfblood

Epov

I let go of Cass's hand and he looked around warily.

"Where are we?" he asked as he took in our surroundings.

We were on a city street lined with cars on both sides. The sidewalk and pavement were cracked, and the cars were less than nice, but I paid this little attention. The air was heavy and clouds above us were low, judging by the state of the street and the droplets on the cars, I guessed it had just rained. Though it wasn't late, the street lights were on, the sunset hidden by the clouds, throwing an ominous shadow over the already shabby buildings on the road.

"New York." I said looking over my shoulder. The street was empty, no doubt due to the weather, but still, I didn't want to be out in the open for long.

I gestured for him to follow me.

"Let's go." I said quietly, continuing to observe the street.

"Go where?" Cass asked sounding a little uneasy.

I shook my head but picked up the pace, making sure my sword was still at my side.

"Ev?"

I didn't answer.

"The fact you're not talking is making me nervous."

"Just follow me," I said locating what I was looking for. "And for the love of the Gods, let me do the talking."

We came up to a set of concrete steps that sank into the sidewalk. At their base was a wooden door, it's green paint faded and splintering, with a rusted handle. There was no sign, but painted on the brick next to the door was a Satyr holding a pan flute in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other. Hanging on a nail driven in its surface was an hours sign, flipped to the side that read 'Closed.'

Disregarding this, I reached for the door.

"It says it's closed." Cassian said with a frown but I ignored him and turned the handle.

We stepped into a dim room that looked half bar half used book store. Scrolls and dusty volumes lined the shelves that ran from ceiling to worn wooden floor on every wall save for the one behind bar, where bottles and weapons intermixed. Mismatched tables and chairs were crammed between the wooden supports that held the place up. All looked as if they'd seen some sort of interaction with the weapons.

"Hey!" a sharp voice shouted from a back room as I made my way to the counter. "Can't you read? The sign says we're closed!"

"Not for me you're not." I said sitting at a stool, but gesturing for Cassian to hang back.

I dropped my bag on the bar as a middle-aged man with a large belly, and gray beard stepped out a door behind it.

"Ah," he said with a smile. He reached for the collar of his dark t-shirt on which pair of glasses rested and put them on. "Well if it isn't our young lady of darkness? What is the cause for the grace of such an illustrious visitor to my fine establishment?"

"Knock it off Hank. I'm not that important and this place isn't that nice."

He laughed.

"Alright Evelyn," he said amused. "Why are you here?"

"I need information."

"Naturally, why else would you come?"

His smile quickly faded when he spotted Cassian, who was now leaning against one of the supports. His hood was still up and I could see distrust in creep into Hank's eyes.

"Who are you?" he snapped before he rounded on me. "Dammit Evelyn, what did I tell you about bringing people here?"

I shrugged.

"Couldn't be helped."

"Oh yeah?" he asked raising a disbelieving eyebrow. "You couldn't have left them outside?"

"No actually."

"And why not?"

"Well, believe it or not," I started sarcastically. "Some people have an issue with being left for monsters to prey on. He wouldn't last very long on his own."

"That sounds like it's his problem, not mine." Hank said with a scowl.

"Lighten up Hank." I said unzipping the front pocket of my bag and dropping a heavy pouch onto the counter in front of him. The coins clattered inside as it hit the wood and his mood improved considerably. "It's not the end of the world."

"Don't do it again," he said snatching up the bag and I gestured for Cass to come over.

He hesitated, but eventually took the seat next to mine, finally pulling off his hood and looking around as Hank carried the bag into the backroom where I knew he kept his safe.

"Where are we Ev?" he asked. "Who is that?"

"That," I said looking at the door through which Hank had disappeared. "Is Hank Frederick. And this," I gestured around at the room. "Is the 'Tipsy Satyr'."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" he asked raising an eyebrow before looking around.

"I'd be very surprised if it did." I said. "Hank likes to keep a low profile."

"But who is he? And why does he care so much if you bring anyone here?"

I frowned for a moment, wondering what I should say, but eventually went with.

"Have you ever wondered what happens to halfbloods after they leave camp?" I asked keeping my tone light, but Cassian grimaced.

"I try not to think about it." Cassian said gruffly looking a little uncomfortable.

It was well known that most demigods met unfortunate ends. If you were lucky enough to make it to the age where you would leave camp, you might make it past your twenties. Maybe.

"Well," I said with a shrug. "Not all of them die you know. Every once and a while you get one who makes it another decade or two. In Hank's case, three."

"So he's a demigod?" Cass asked in disbelief looking at the door. "Someone his age?"

"I know, I was surprised too." I said with a shrug. "But the Athena kids are pretty clever. I bumped into him when I was cornered by the Minotaur a few years back. I thought I was dead. Next thing I knew there was a cross bow bolt sticking out of its head and Hank was at the mouth of the alley."

I gestured towards one of the weapons behind the bar.

"Anyways, Hank found me, figured out who I was and took me here. Let me recover for a few days, but he always gets antsy when there's more than one demigod in the area. Doesn't want to attract attention to himself."

"Always?" Cassian asked with a frown. "You've run into others?"

I shrugged.

"People stop in. Hank might be a grouch but he didn't make it this long by luck alone. He's got eyes and ears all over the mythological world. People come to him with information with the understanding that when they need answers, he'll be the one to give them to them."

"Does the camp know about this?" he asked quietly.

"No."

"Why not?" he asked in shock. "This could be a valuable resource for missions. Don't you think you should tell-"

"The day that infernal camp starts sending teenagers to my door is the day I pack up and head for somewhere very far away." Said an irritable voice as Hank walked back behind the bar. "I've served my time there and I'll thank you not to funnel demigods to me that will attract every monster in New York! As if this one weren't bad enough!"

He made a hopeless gesture towards me and I grinned.

"Love you too Hank."

"At least Evelyn can deal with any monsters that might follow her here. The same cannot be said for you apparently." He narrowed his eyes at Cassian. "Who are you anyways?"

"If you needed to know I would have told you." I said blandly before Cass could respond.

Hank gave me a calculated look, clearly wondering if the issue was worth pressing, but decided against it.

He made an irritated noise, but dropped the subject. He reached for a glass, then hesitated.

"Are you old enough to drink yet?" he asked frowning at me and I gave him an amused look.

"I'm not even old enough to vote."

"Really?" he asked in shock and I shrugged. "I could have sworn you were older. How long have you been dragging your sorry butt in and out of this place? Four, five years?"

"Yeah, but I was twelve when I started." I said a little amused.

"Guess I'm used to demigods in a different age range." He muttered changing directions.

He opened a mini fridge and pulled two soda cans out of it, both generic brand, placing them in front of Cassian and I.

"Quality stuff," I said looking at the super market logo and he scowled.

"Hey you're lucky I even had that." He said, the can cracked as I opened it and he fixed me with an expectant stare. "Now." he crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

"Aphrodite," I said taking a sip, realizing too late that it was diet and pulling a face at the taste of the sweetener. "What have you heard about her?"

"Recently?" he asked thoughtfully, scratching his jaw and I nodded. "Now what would a girl like you want with her?"

"You're the one being paid for answers here, not me. What do you know?"

"Not much." He admitted thoughtfully. "Though it might be helpful if I knew what you were looking for."

"Anything you can tell me. Where she's been, where she'll be next. I know you've got something."

"I might have heard a thing or two." He said. "But I still don't understand what you'd want with her." He glanced at Cass. "A little young to be concerning yourself with love aren't you? He have something to do with this?"

"Just tell me what you know." I said impatiently.

"Alright, alright, hold your hellhounds jeez." He frowned, apparently thinking. "Now I don't know if it's true," he said slowly. "But I did catch it from a dyrad in Central Park that she was going to be in town in a couple of days actually."

"How reliable is that?" I asked frowning and he gave me a dubious look.

"It's a tree Ev, it's a wonder they know anything that's going on at all. But it makes sense, apparently there's a huge fashion show coming up in the city and odds are she'll want to be involved."

Next to me, Cassian went stiff.

"That mean something to you?" I asked and he nodded.

I waited for him to explain, but he didn't and I turned back to Hank.

"Well, thanks for the info. We'll get out of your hair."

"Now wait just a second." He said as I slid off my stool. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Aren't you always trying to push me out of here?"

"You know the rules." He said stubbornly. "You want something from me, you gotta give me something in return."

"I already paid you."

"Do I look like an idiot? You spend enough time out of that camp to hear things. Come on lass, tell me what you know."

I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I wanted to say the first thing that came to my mind.

"Look, I haven't heard anything that would help anyone that was passing through. But…" I paused wondering if I should be admitting this. Was it meddling? "I do know something that might be useful to you."

"What is it?"

"Last time I went to see my Dad, I ran into Minos. I asked about you."

Hank went a bit paler and I felt Cassian's eyes on me but I ignored him.

"What did he have to say?" Hank asked carefully.

I thought for a moment, recalling the conversation with the King.

"You might want to open your doors to other campers who could use your help." I said shouldering my book bag, and avoiding his eye. "Might help you change where you're going to end up. C'mon."

I gestured for Cass to follow me to the door, leaving Hank to sit with what I'd said, feeling a little guilty about it.

"Jeez that was bleak." Cassian said as we stepped back outside and walked up the stairs.

I shrugged.

"Are you allowed to do that?" he asked frowning. "Tell people where they're going to end up in the Underworld?"

"Probably not." I said with a sigh. "But I like Hank. He's got a complicated past, but deep down he's a good guy. He deserves better than what's coming to him at the moment."

It had started to sprinkle and I pulled a jacket out of my bag, pulling up the hood.

"Do you know where I'm going to end up?" he asked after a few moments of silence and I felt a little uncomfortable.

"I didn't ask."

We walked in silence for a while and I had the impression that Cass was thinking. We'd made it several blocks before he asked.

"Where are we going?"

"Library." I said. "We need to figure out when and where that show is and most of them have wifi. Some of them are even 24 hours, it's a good place to crash if you don't get caught."

"I know where the show is." He muttered.

"You do?" I asked looking at him in surprise and he nodded.

"Yeah. It's the day after tomorrow and we don't have to sleep at the library. I know somewhere we can stay."

"Where?" I asked curiously and he sighed.

"We're in New York, right?"

"Yeah."

"My Dad has an apartment in the city."

"He does?"

Cass nodded.

"If he has an apartment so close why do you live at camp?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Just because he has an apartment doesn't mean he's ever there." Cass said scowling and there was an edge of bitterness in his tone.

I was tempted to ask what he meant by this, but judging by his expression, I was willing to bet he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well," I said trying to sound as casual as possible. "Where are we headed?"

Before he could respond however, something darted between the roof tops above us.

I froze, holding up my arm and smacking Cassian in the chest. He stopped.

"What?" he asked still sounding a little annoyed.

"Weapon out. Now." I said quietly drawing my sword.

"What?"

"Do it Cass!"

But before he could even reach for his bag, there was a loud screech as four figures dove from the sky. Cassian let out a shout of surprise, and the next thing I knew, my vision was obscured by a whirl of talons and feathers.

Harpies. Dammit.

I let out a shout of frustration as I cut one down, but missed the second. I shot a shadow at it, but it dodged and took to the sky, climbing out of my reach as it prepared to strike.

A cry of pain to my right told me Cass was in trouble.

Cursing profusely, I stabbed the third and ran to see Cassian on his back, struggle with the fourth which had sunk its talons into his forearm.

"Alright, that's enough!" I said driving my sword through its back.

It let out a shriek of pain before it erupted into dust.

I turned, ready to take on the last of them, but with an insolent shriek, it turned and flew off.

"Tell Zeus to leave me alone!" I shouted after it irritated, before turning back to Cass and helping him up.

"You alright?"

The rain was picking up, and my hood had fallen off during the fight. I pushed my hair out of my face wishing I'd pulled it back at Hank's.

"I don't know." He said. His eyes were wide and he sounded like he was in shock. He was staring at the tears in his hoodie, looking at the blood in a horrified sort of fascination.

"Let me see." I said grabbing his arm and pushing up his sleeve.

He winced but didn't say anything, letting me examine the wound.

The scratches were long, but they weren't deep. There were four of them that ran from his elbow to his wrist. Painful? Yes. But not really a problem.

"You'll be fine." I said dropping his arm.

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

I pushed up my own sleeve, and his eyes landed on the many scars, some almost identical to the scratches on him.

"I'm fairly certain. Come on." I said shaking my arm so that it was covered again. "We need to get out of the open."

Cpov

The next hour was not fun. We couldn't shadow travel to the apartment building because Evelyn didn't know where she was going, and the harpies weren't the only monsters we ran into. By the time we made it to the building, I was starting to understand why when campers came back from the mortal world, they looked as if they'd been hit by a truck.

"You live here?" Evelyn asked in surprise as we walked up the marble steps.

Unlike street we'd arrived on, cars were jammed tightly on the pavement and people were bumping into each other on the sidewalk.

"I don't live here," I said sourly. "My Dad lives here. When he's in town."

I was in a bad mood. My arm really hurt, but I knew better than to complain to Evelyn. I'd seen some of the injuries she'd come back with. I should probably be counting myself lucky.

"It's on central park." She said incredulously looking over her shoulder once we'd walked through the revolving glass doors. "The rent most cost a fortune."

"His work pays for it. He's got apartments in major cities all over the world. Doesn't cost him a dime."

"That's pretty cool." She said looking around the lobby apparently impressed.

I shrugged.

The doorman gave us a suspicious look as we crossed to the elevators, but, when he saw I knew the access code he went back to his magazine.

"So." She said giving me a shrewd look as we stepped into the elevator and I pressed the button for the top floor. "You going to tell me why you got all touchy when Hank mentioned the fashion show? How did you even know about it anyways?"

"Ev, do you not know who my Dad is?" I asked a little suspiciously.

"No." she said with a shrug as the elevator jolted into motion. "Am I supposed to?"

"Does the name Robert Holt mean anything to you?"

"Should it?"

"What about Étoile?"

"Et-what?" she asked sounding completely confused.

"You've _really_ never heard that before?"

"No Cass, I haven't." she said now sounding a little annoyed. "So can you quit with the twenty questions and get to the point?"

I looked at her momentarily skeptical. If she was telling the truth, she had no clue who my father was or what he did. But it wouldn't be the first time someone pretended that they didn't. Then again this was Evelyn. I highly doubted she spent her free time thumbing through Vogue or looking up image dumps from fashion week on the internet.

"My Dad's the COO at Étoile." I said eventually. "It's one of the biggest designer names in the world. They're one of the sponsors of the show this week."

"Ah." Was all she said.

The elevator doors opened and we walked down the hall, Evelyn looking uncomfortable when she looked out the windows.

"You alright?"

"I don't like heights."

"Really?" I asked surprised. "Why not?"

At this she scowled.

"Where do you think lightning comes from?"

"Zeus isn't going to strike you through a building." I said rolling my eyes.

"I admire your optimism. But I've found paranoia does a much better job of keeping me alive."

"I dunno." I said grinning slightly. "I imagine the sword and the powers help."

"I prefer it when it doesn't come to that."

We stopped outside a black door with a digital keypad over the handle. I typed in the code and heard the deadbolt 'click', then pushed open the door.

"We can crash here until the show at least. My Dad won't be in town until the day of, and he's going straight from the airport there."

"Ok." She said dropping her bag on the kitchen counter and looking around.

The apartment was nice, but you could tell it wasn't used very much. The counter tops were all polished stone and the furniture was black leather that could have been used for a model home. It was an open space, with a sunken living room and big media center, not that it was ever used. The appliances were modern as was the art on the walls. I remembered thinking it was stupid how much they must have cost when I was a kid, back when I still lived with my father. Looking at them now, I still thought it was stupid.

"Nice place." She said with approval taking a seat on a stool at the bar.

"Yeah." I said stiffly. "You can take the bed room, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Why don't you sleep in your room?" she asked going through her bag.

"I don't have one."

She froze and I could tell she was about to turn and look at me but I quickly glanced away.

There was an awkward silence that seemed to last forever, but eventually, I heard the rustling of plastic as she went through the bags of snacks we got from the convenience store on the corner.

"Well, what do you want?" she asked her tone controlled but I figured it was safe to look at her. "Pizza rolls or canned spaghetti?"

"You know I'm not really hungry." I said which was a straight up lie, one I was sure she didn't buy, but I continued with. "I'm going to shower. I should probably clean this."

I gestured to the rips in my hoodie. She didn't stop me, but I could feel her eyes on me as I walked down the hall that led to the bed and bath rooms.

The second I stepped through the door I wished I hadn't. I caught my reflection in the mirror over the sink and looked away.

I did end up taking a shower, more to avoid Evelyn than anything and get my head straight. The hot water stung my cuts but helped me clear my thoughts a little. I took longer than I normally would have, but eventually, I stepped into the main part of the apartment.

It smelled like cheap, microwavable food, but my stomach didn't care. It growled and I spotted a plate on the kitchen counter, several little rectangles with cheese and sauce spilling out of them.

I picked up the plate, ready to thank Evelyn for making them for me when I realized her backpack was no longer on the counter.

I frowned and looked around only to spot her, asleep on the couch, using her bag as a pillow, her sword an empty plate on the coffee table in front of her.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was pretty late. We'd run into several monsters tonight, and I wasn't really any help. She was probably exhausted.

Deciding not to wake her, I walked to a closet opposite the bathroom and pulled out a blanket, tossing it over her. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake up and I found myself looking at her for a moment, a little amused.

I didn't know why, but to me it was weird to see her asleep. I mean, I knew she had to sleep, everyone did, but this was the girl who spent a decent amount of time slashing monsters and kicking ass in the arena. She might not have been popular, but she was well known around camp. Her powers were legendary and I'd seen for myself why but still… It was weird to see her doing something so… normal.

I wasn't sure why, but it made me grin slightly.

"Night Ev," I said walking out of the living area and, after grabbing my plate, turning off the lights.

I made my way to the bedroom and had just pushed open the door when I heard the sound of shattering glass.

My blood went cold.

"Ev?" I asked, bolting back down the hall picturing monsters or Gods knows what else.

I turned on the light only to see Evelyn looking confused, her sword readied as she looked rapidly around the room.

"Evelyn, what happened? Are you alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah." She said shaking her head, but I noticed her fingers were trembling. "Yeah, I just… just a bad dream, that's all."

I noticed on the floor in front of the couch were shards of the plate that had been on it. She must have knocked it onto the floor when she went for her weapon.

"And your first instinct is to arm yourself?" I asked uncertainly.

"It's a good instinct to have." She said, she seemed a bit calmer now, her sword was at her side, but I noticed she hadn't let it go.

"Do you always sleep with a weapon?"

She nodded.

"Even at camp?" I asked in surprise.

"Is there a problem with that?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"No." I said but I wasn't sure if that was entirely true.

A moment of silence passed between us where I wasn't entirely sure what to do, but something was off. She looked tense, not like her usual self.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." She said flatly.

"Alright." I said in surrender. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

She didn't respond, but as I turned to head back to the bedroom, I heard the clinking of glass that told me she was picking up the pieces of the plate that had shattered.

I wanted to go back and ask her what was wrong, but I knew I wouldn't get very far.

I couldn't help but think of what she said earlier.

 _I've found paranoia does a much better job of keeping me alive._

I'd thought it was funny when she'd said it, like she'd been making a joke, but it didn't feel very funny anymore. No, now it felt dark, ominous even. Part of me wondered how often she'd woken up like that.

'Or,' said a quiet voice in the back of my mind. 'There was actually something there to fight.'

How many times had Evelyn woken up, only to find that her life really was in danger?


	12. Chapter 12

Hello everyone! Hope you like the new chapter! Thanks to everyone who has messaged/reviewed/favorited/followed! I really appreciate it! Also, crunch time for school so posting might be a bit delayed. However, I'm also on a writing binge, so who knows. Maybe I'll get more done than I'm expecting. Anyways, thanks for all the support! Enjoy!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

When I woke up, it took me a second to remember why I wasn't at camp. I sat up and looked around the room completely confused, before memories of the last 24 hours came back to me. When they did, I almost went right back to sleep. A sense of dread went through me, causing my stomach to sink as I remembered why I was here. What had happened.

Part of me had hoped yesterday might have been a nightmare, that when I woke up this morning I'd be in my cabin and everything would be back to normal. As I took in the white, unfamiliar walls of the apartment however, and remembered the scratches on my arm, it became extremely obvious that this was not the case. I looked down at the injuries, surprised by how much they still hurt. I'd never been caught in a monster fight before, my dad sent me off to camp before they'd really started to bother with me. Were they always like that?

Part of me wanted to lie there in self-pity and allow myself to feel bad about the situation I was in, but I figured that wasn't going to do me any good. Instead, I forced myself to get up, get dressed, and walk out into the hall.

I was about three steps in when I realized I had a head ache, and my neck was stiff. I must have slept on it funny. I was just about to check the bathroom for aspirin when I heard the door to the apartment open.

My blood went cold. Who the hell could that be? My dad wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow night.

Forgetting the aspirin, I ran down the hall to see what was going on only to see Evelyn walking through it, carrying a paper bag.

"Where have you been?" I asked a little surprised.

"Breakfast." She said as if this were obvious, holding up the bag before dropping it on the counter. "Are you a chocolate or vanilla guy?"

"What?"

In response, she reached into the bag and pulled out two cartons of ice cream.

"I didn't know what you wanted so I got both."

She pulled out a third which I saw was cake batter, and cracked open the lid before digging a plastic spoon into the carton.

"You're eating ice cream?" I asked her, stunned.

"Mhm." She said contentedly before sitting at the bar.

"For breakfast?"

"Yup."

"How old are you?" I asked, but she looked far too pleased with her treat to spare any energy on what I thought.

She ignored me and continued eating, and only then did something occur to me. Something that I probably should have realized before. The show wasn't until tomorrow. Until then, there wasn't really anything for us to do except to sit around and wait for it. We were going to have to spend the whole day together, something that had never happened before. Would it be awkward?

Evelyn didn't seemed to be bothered by this, she continued to eat, looking perfectly at ease and I decided maybe it would only be weird if we made it weird. I mean, I got along with Evelyn for the most part right? She'd already started the day off with dessert. Maybe hanging out with her might be kind of fun.

I decided just to go with it and reached for a carton. I noticed that the writing on it wasn't in English. It was in French. Being biologically hardwired to understand the language, I hadn't realized at first.

"Where did you get this?" I asked stopping in surprise. I recognized the logo.

"Paris." She said casually.

"Wait, what?"

"There's a really good creamery just a few blocks down from the Musée d'Orsay."

"I know there is." I said frowning. I'd spent several afternoons there as a kid. "How do _you_ know that?"

"I can't go places?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"You went to France, to get ice cream?" I asked and she nodded.

I stared at her.

"You went to _France,_ to get ice cream?" I repeated, emphasizing the country.

"Yes."

"Why would you do that?"

At this she laughed.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Are you insane?"

"I will not be judged for liking ice cream."

"I'm not judging you for liking ice cream." I said incredulously. "I'm judging you for crossing an ocean so you could have it at seven thirty in the morning. You couldn't just go the grocery store?"

She looked at me as if I was deranged.

"Why would I do that when I can shadow travel to a place that's so much better?"

"Normal people do not just pop over to France on a whim because they want ice cream."

"So I have expensive taste. So what?" she said with a shrug. "I'm my father's daughter. I can't help it if I like the finer things in life."

"Like Parisian ice cream?"

"Exactly." she said with a smile.

"You are ridiculous."

"Maybe," she said sounding unconcerned. "But I have ice cream. Now do you want some or not?"

I hesitated for a second, but she nodded to the the cartons and gave me a pointed look. Relenting, I grinned as I took the vanilla.

"Now that's a surprise." She said handing me a plastic spoon and eyeing me with interest. "I figured you were a chocolate person."

"Why? Because my mom's Aphrodite and chocolates are associated with romantic love?"

"Well… yeah."

"I'm allergic to chocolate."

"Um, excuse me. _What_?" she asked looking horrified.

"Yup." I said taking a spoonful of ice cream, a little amused at her expression. "One bite and my throat closes up and I break out into hives."

"How is that possible for a son of Aphrodite?"

I shrugged and she continued to look at me like I had three heads.

"So you never eat chocolate?"

"Not if I don't want to end up in the ER, no."

"But it's so good."

"I don't know what to tell you Ev." I said taking another bite.

"I can't imagine being allergic to chocolate." She said thoughtfully, as if she hadn't quite processed the information. "Brownies, cakes, candy bars. Gods, you can't eat any of that."

"I feel like this is a bigger deal to you than it is to me."

"This should be a big deal to you."

"Why?"

"Because it's delicious!"

"There's not much I can do about it."

"Well, I guess you have a point." She said with a shrug and putting her carton on the counter in front of her. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Why are you asking me, aren't you in charge?"

"In charge of what?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno, the mission? You're the one who always does this sort of thing. I figured you'd know what to do."

"There's nothing to do." She said. "All we can do is wait. Either your mom's there tomorrow or she isn't. I've got no control over that."

"And what if she isn't?" I asked and Evelyn shrugged.

"Well, I guess we come up with a plan B."

"Any ideas?"

"I'm not the person to ask about that. I don't know anything about your mom. I'm just the girl with the sword."

"Right."

She hesitated for a moment, looking a bit conflicted before saying.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do if she can't help you?"

"What?"

"It's just." She paused, apparently thinking carefully about what she wanted to say. "I've been doing this sort of thing for a while Cass, and in my experience, they never go the way you expect them to. Something always seems to go wrong. I just think you should have a plan if, you know, things don't work out with her."

I didn't answer. The truth was I hadn't thought of that. If my mother couldn't help me I wasn't sure who could.

"Just keep it in mind." She said delicately.

I did. The next few hours passed with me at the office on my father's laptop researching anything I could find about curses, but I didn't make much progress. Finally, at around noon, I decided to take a break. I'd just walked into the main part of the apartment when I spotted Evelyn reading on the couch.

"What are you reading?" I asked sitting on the cushion next to hers.

She lifted the book without responding so I could see the cover.

"Edgar Allen Poe," I said realizing it was a copy of his entire works. I grinned. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"

"What do you expect me to read? Poindexter?" she asked raising an eyebrow looking up from her page.

"You might." I said with a shrug. "His work is beautiful."

"I'm not really a romantic."

"You're reading poetry." I pointed out. "There's got to be some romance in you."

She looked uncertain how to answer this.

"And besides." I continued. "I happen to think Annabel Lee is very romantic."

She seemed surprised.

"You've read it?"

I grinned.

"' _But our love it was stronger by far than the love, of those who were older than we. Of many far wiser than we. And neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul, of the beautiful Annabel Lee.'"_

She looked stunned.

"I've read a lot of his work." I said reaching out for the book and she handed it to me, still apparently at a loss for words.

I flipped through the chapters and landed on one of the narratives, and I felt her eyes on me as I started to scan the lines.

"I can't believe you like Poe."

"Why not?"

"Well, because you're you." She said and I could hear the frown in her tone. "Since when does a child of Aphrodite read Edgar Allen Poe?"

"Since he found a collection of poems at a garage sale for fifty cents. Don't judge a book by its cover, Ev. Why put people in a box?"

She didn't answer for a second.

"Poindexter isn't so bad." She muttered and I smiled.

I chanced a glance at her and I saw her cheeks had gone slightly pink. Clearly it cost her something to admit this. She looked a little flustered. It was sort of cute.

"Embarrassed?" I asked and her cheeks flooded with more color.

"No." she said quickly but when I raised an eyebrow she relented. "Ok, maybe a little. It's just, when you've got a dad like mine, people don't usually expect you to go around reading love poems."

"I think more people should." I said shrugging and returning to the book. "And it's not a crime to be inspired by them."

"Maybe not for you." she said. "Your mother is the goddess of love. I'm supposed to be the scary Underworld freak remember?"

"Then you're just as bad as my friends."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked indignantly and I looked at her.

"Just because they pigeonhole you by your powers doesn't mean you have to do it to yourself."

Silence passed between us as I continued to read and I felt her eyes on me.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" she asked and I looked up.

"What?"

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" she repeated.

She was giving me a weird look, as if she wasn't sure what to make of me and I felt half an amused smile make its way to my features.

"Am I supposed to be?" I asked with a laugh. "You're not scary."

"I'm the daughter of death."

"So?"

"So!" she said incredulously. "That freaks most people out!"

"You read poetry Ev." I said definitely grinning now. "And you eat ice cream for breakfast. The only time I'll be afraid of you is if I'm suddenly made out of frozen dairy and you have a spoon."

"And you call me ridiculous." She said rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest moodily, but when she turned her head, I thought I caught a smile.

I didn't know why, but I wasn't surprised to find myself smiling too.

"So." She said looking back at me her expression controlled, but her eyes were alight with interest. "Now that you've stolen my book, I'm going to have to read yours."

"Oh, you have to huh?"

"Yes. What did you bring?"

"You probably wouldn't like it."

"Why? What is it?" she asked with a smirk. "A Compilation of Cassian Holt's Favorite Love Poems?"

"It's an in-depth analysis of the Battle of Verdun from the First World War, and it's written in French."

"Oh." She said flatly and I almost laughed at her expression.

"Well then give me my book back." She said snatching it from my hands and settling back into the cushions.

"Alright bossy."

"You said I was in charge remember?" She said sounding unperturbed.

"Well you have a point there."

A few minutes passed where she continued to read and I sat there just thinking.

"Hey Ev?"

"Hm?"

"How did you know it was me?"

She looked over the cover, apparently confused.

"What?"

"On the beach." I said watching her expression, but it was impossible to read. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Oh," she said and I was surprised to see her look a little uncomfortable. She seemed to want to avoid my gaze because she looked back at her book. "Does it matter?"

"Not even Angela knew who I was." I said with a frown. "How did you?"

She didn't answer, and she didn't look up from her page. Just as I thought she wasn't going to respond, her eyes darted towards me for a fraction of a second, before she said.

"Your eyes." She said her tone measured.

"My eyes?" I asked and she nodded. "That was all that tipped you off? My eye color?"

"It wasn't your eye color." She muttered, still taking refuge in the book.

"What do you mean?"

Another pause and again, she seemed to choose her words carefully, but when she did speak, I felt a shock go through me.

"People don't look at me the way you do." She said quietly. "Like you don't want to look away. No one looks at me like that. Most people try not to look at me at all. Even my friends are scared of me when I'm upset. But not you. Even when I'm angry. You don't look away."

For some reason, I felt my heart rate increase.

"I'm sure that's not true." I said trying to keep my voice level and she finally did glance up.

"People avoid me Cass." She said flatly. "It's an instinct. They don't like to be reminded of death. I notice the people that don't."

It was my turn to fall silent. I really didn't know what to say.

This was how the day went for the most part. We didn't do much of anything but we talked a lot. It surprised me, but found I liked talking to her. Maybe a little more than I should have, but I couldn't help it. Evelyn was actually pretty funny when she relaxed. I'd never met anyone as sarcastic as her, but I kind of loved it. She had this ability to say the most outrageous things with a completely straight face. I already had decided to never play poker with her.

When it hit six Evelyn said she was getting cabin fever and needed to get out of the apartment. We ended up in a Chinese place a block from the building for dinner. It was tiny, a hole in the wall really, with four booths and two tables all crammed together, on a checkered floor, between light green walls.

We sat at one of the small tables waiting for our orders and I caught myself staring at her.

"What?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." I said shaking my head. "I just realized something."

"What?"

"I've no idea what you do outside of camp."

"I'm a prolific serial killer." She said coolly, her expression completely blank.

"Well obviously not a smart one." I countered. "If you go around telling people."

"Who says you're not my next victim? Dead people don't talk."

"They can to you."

At this the corner of her mouth twitched and I could have sworn she was about to smile. The girl of the couple at the table next to ours gave us an alarmed look. Evelyn must have seen this out of the corner of her eye because this time she did smile and said.

"Don't worry Cass, you're safe. I only go after people who listen in on my conversations."

The girl next to us choked on the water she'd been drinking and Evelyn laughed.

"That was not nice." I said grinning as our orders arrived and she shrugged.

"She'll be ok."

"You didn't answer my question though." I said as she took a bite of her low mien. "What do you do when you're not at camp? I guess go to school or something?"

"Nah." She said shaking her head. "I got my GED two years ago."

"Why'd you leave?" I asked in surprise.

"You said it yourself Cass. I make people uncomfortable. How well do you think high school would go for me?"

"So then what do you do? Why don't you stay at camp?"

"Because I don't want to." She said simply. "Most of my friends are only there over the summer, what would I do when they were gone? Hang out with Chiron?" She made a derisive noise. "I can go where ever I want whenever I want. Why would I stick to one place?"

"What about your mom?" I asked. "She's ok with you just wandering around?"

"She can't really do much about it." Evelyn pointed out. "I don't have school to go to, and what's the difference between running into the Hydra here versus running into it in Germany? I'm in no more danger there than I am with her."

"I guess you've got a point. What does your mom do?"

"She's an anthropologist. Specializes in death rituals, most specifically in ancient civilizations."

"Guess I know why she caught your father's eye."

"It's a real mystery." She said with a dramatic sigh.

"What's their story?"

"She was helping a museum set up an exhibit on Ancient Greece. She was really excited, she got a whole room to work with. My dad doesn't get a lot of attention, especially in the mortal world. I guess he couldn't resist. He went to check it out, help her make it as accurate as possible and, well..."

She gestured to herself.

"Here I am."

"Better than my parents story." I said tonelessly.

"You think? What's theirs?"

"Mom likes to come to the mortal world every few decades and play super model. They met at one party for one night after a show, next thing my dad knew, he had a kid he hadn't planned for."

"Cass, I don't think any of us were planned for. Who in their right mind would intentionally create a demigod?"

"I guess." I said quietly stabbing at a piece of chicken.

"What about you?" she asked as I ate. "What did you do before you went to camp full time? I imagine school was amazing for you."

I shrugged.

"Didn't spend a lot of time in any of them." I said. "The only time I really had more than a few friends was when he was stationed in Paris. But he moved around a lot, which meant I moved around a lot. Hard to have friends when you live in Milan and you don't know any Italian. By the time I could actually talk to people in one school, my dad moved up in the company and we moved again. Eventually he traveled so much he just got me a tutor and I was home schooled."

"Is that why you hang out with people like Broderick when you got to camp?" she asked scowling. "You finally got to be part of the cool kids?"

"It's just where I ended up."

"Do you even like them?" she asked suspiciously.

"Some of them are ok." I said with a shrug.

"That's not a yes."

"What about your friends?" I countered.

"What about them?"

"Do you honestly think you'd be friends with all of them if they weren't part of your group?"

"Yes." She said indignantly.

"Really?" I asked skeptically. "You'd _really_ be friends with Micah's little brother Evan if you guys weren't your little Underworld pack at camp? He's twelve and talks almost exclusively about his current DnD campaign. I can hardly believe you of all people find that interesting."

She frowned.

"What's your point Cass?"

"My point is that it's not as simple as your making it, is it?"

She seemed to think about that for a while.

Eventually, we made it back to the apartment, where we both ended up on the couch. Evelyn was reading again and I was looking up last minute details for the show. I'd have to call my dad for us to be let in which I wasn't looking forward to, but that was a problem for tomorrow.

"I'm guessing you didn't pack anything that would go with the 'Heaven on Earth' theme did you?" I asked wondering how much we were going to stick out tomorrow and if it would be a problem.

She didn't respond.

"Ev?"

I looked up from the laptop to see for the second time she'd fallen asleep on the couch.

"Guess that's also something for tomorrow." I said to myself.

I was about to close the laptop when I remembered something I had to take care of. I really didn't want to deal with it at the moment, but this might be the last time I had access to a computer for a while…

With a sigh, knowing how much of a head ache this was going to be, I pulled up a web browser and typed 'Facebook' into the URL bar.

The page loaded and after a controlled breath, I typed in the email and password April had told me she'd used to create the page. Though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, the profile seemed to take forever to load. When it did, I almost wished I hadn't bothered.

It was a pretty normal page. I looked at the pictures. They were all of me with my friends at camp, several of them featured April, which she'd tagged herself in. Even my profile picture had her in it. There was one exception to the 'normal'ness however.

I had over two hundred friend requests and dozens of messages. Some, from mortals I'd known over the years who'd wanted to get back in contact, others from campers. Then there were the usual people who wanted connections to my father through me, but most were from the random girls who'd seen my profile and decided to add me. A quick glance told me that April had responded to many of these messages, apparently I was 'very happy' in my relationship with her.

A strange feeling went through me as I navigated back to the profile. I would have said it was anger, but it felt too hollow for that. Anger was definitely there, especially whenever April's image popped up, but I felt detached from it and as I continued to look through the pictures, I found the emotion was dulled to the point where all it did was depress me. I'd never taken a bad picture in my life, perks of having Aphrodite as your mother, but I found the more I looked at the photos, the more I hated them. I wasn't even sure why. I looked great. Here I was, risking my life in the mortal world trying to go back to that, but then what?

I glanced at Evelyn who'd curled up on her side.

She wasn't in any of the photos, none of her friends were. It was like they just didn't exist and if you were to judge by my pictures, you might have thought Evelyn wasn't involved in my life at all. I wasn't sure why, but that bothered me. When we got back to camp, was that how it was going to be? Just going back to sometimes seeing each other? Maybe talking if we had a reason our friends needed to interact?

I sighed and started to sort through the messages and requests, deleting the randoms, and wondering what I should do about the people that I did know. Part of me wanted to delete the account just to simplify matters, but I hesitated for a moment. Uncertain as to why.

Eventually, I found myself clicking on the search function and before I knew what I was doing, I'd typed.

'Evelyn Blake'

Several results popped up, but I found I was surprised when I spotted a picture of her three results down.

Evelyn didn't seem like the social media type, but when I saw her friends list and how small it was, I realized she probably only used it to keep in touch with her friends from camp. Her page was almost entirely empty, she'd posted nothing herself, no photos or statuses, but had been tagged by others.

I clicked on her profile picture and studied it. It was a candid shot of her sitting on what looked like the concrete steps of a building which was out of the frame. She was smiling at something off screen to her left, giving the camera her profile. The caption identified the person as 'Nicky' with a tag to their page and a string of various emoticons next to the text.

Curious, mainly because I was pretty sure there wasn't a Nicky in her social circle at camp, I clicked on the tag and was surprised by what I found.

Judging by the name, I'd expected 'Nicky' to be a girl. He was not. Nick Foyette looked to be about 19 or 20 years old, and was most definitely a male. And Evelyn was in his profile picture.

He appeared to be tall from the picture, moderately attractive, with short, dark brown hair and a sleeve tattooed on the arm that was around her shoulders. His hand formed the 'rock and roll' sign as he smirked at the camera while Evelyn's expression was deadpan, like she was annoyed at being photographed. The caption read.

'Girl's mastered the death glare. Still love her though.'

It was followed by a heart emoticon, and I saw that the picture had been uploaded just before camp started for the summer.

I grew uncomfortable at this for some reason, as a possibility came to my mind, one I hadn't really expected.

Did Evelyn have a boyfriend?

I frowned. She'd never mentioned one, and she wasn't dating anyone at camp, I was certain of that, but then again, why would she talk to me about this? She didn't have to report to me about her love life. But even still... I figured I would have picked up on it if she had a significant other. My mother was the Goddess of love after all. That was kind of my thing. So who was this guy? And why did he seemed to be important to her?

I wasn't sure why, but I found this to be an unpleasant thought and before I knew it, I'd started researching. A quick scan of his profile had me 90% sure that Nick was a mortal, and into the Rock scene. His style, much like Evelyn herself, was a lot of black, and Evelyn was all over his page. I wasn't sure how far I went back, but I could tell they'd known each other for years, and in all of their pictures together, he seemed to display the same affectionate treatment of her.

I felt a sense of panic settle throughout me, one I couldn't explain. I had no idea who this guy was to Evelyn, to what extent their relationship had progressed, but suddenly, I felt I needed to know. He could very well be her boyfriend, or if he wasn't, then someone else could be. I sure as Hades wouldn't know. And it was at this point that I realized that despite talking to her for most of the day, I knew very little about Evelyn.

That bothered me.

Who was this guy? I kept looking for clues on his page, but I couldn't figure it out. I clicked back to Evelyn's page and while there were a few pictures of him on it, they were the same ones on his profile. The ones she'd been tagged in.

I was about to go back to Nick's page when I realized what I was doing and stopped.

Why did I care so much about this? What did it matter if this guy was Evelyn's boyfriend or not? It didn't affect me, not really. Right?

So why was my heart beating so fast? Why did I feel the completely insane urge to wake Evelyn up and ask her who he was? And why was I hoping that if I did, she'd say he wasn't important to her, even when he quite obviously could be?

A thought occurred to me, one that I almost didn't believe because it had never happened before. One I'd never considered because, well, I'd never expected it.

'No.' I thought stubbornly. 'This happens to other people. This doesn't happen to you.'

But the more I told myself it couldn't be happening, the clearer it became that it was. Things that I'd never thought twice about were now so blatantly obvious, I didn't know how I hadn't realized it before. Why I didn't like it that night when she'd seen me with Amy. Why I didn't care when Amy had left. Why I was always was always so willing to talk to her, excited even, when others wanted me to talk to her for them. Why when anyone had issues with the Underworld campers, I wanted to be the one to fix it.

People had even told me, straight to my face, and I still hadn't realized.

' _We all know you have a thing for the Underfreak._ '

 _'The way it appears to me, you might actually like her.'_

This explained everything.

Why Evelyn was able to know me simply by how I looked at her. Because she was right. I didn't want to look away. I liked her. And I was in trouble.

I looked down at Evelyn who was still asleep, completely unaware of the panic that was spreading through me.

'Ok, just calm down.' I thought looking away from her. 'It's just a crush. It happens to people all the time. It will go away. You just didn't think it would happen to you. She's pretty, she's nice, I'm sure plenty of people have had a crush on her before…'

That didn't help.

'Get it together Cass.' I thought putting my face in my hands. 'She's just a girl. You know how to deal with girls.'

But as soon as I thought them, I knew the words weren't true. She wasn't just a girl. This was Evelyn. Smart, funny, extremely pretty, able to kick my ass into next week if she felt like it, Evelyn. That was a big difference. I'd never liked a girl before, not really anyways. I didn't know what to do, and even if I did, I was in no position to act on it. Not with how I looked right now.

'That's what you need to focus on.' I thought. 'Get through tomorrow, find Mom, and then, when things are back to normal, you can figure out what to do about Ev.'

Feeling stressed, I rubbed my face and looked up, only to see that the browser was still open, and the page was still on Evelyn's profile.

I went to x out the page, but just as I was about to press close, I paused. I wasn't sure why, but I found myself staring at her profile picture.

Knowing it was probably a mistake, I clicked 'Add Friend', before changing my account settings to private and shutting the laptop.

I'd just stood up and was about to head to the bed room when I heard a rustling, and looked over to see I must have accidentally woken her, because she was sitting up rubbing her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily, glancing at her watch. "Jeez Cass, why are you still awake?"

"I was just about to go to bed." I admitted, feeling more awkward than I had ever before in my life.

She didn't seem to notice.

"Can you grab me a blanket?" she asked through a yawn.

She placed her book, which she'd fallen asleep with, on the coffee table open to the page she'd left off.

"Why don't you take the bed?" I offered. "I had it last night."

She shrugged.

"Alright."

She stood and yawned a second time, then grabbed her bag.

"Night Cass."

"Night Ev." I said watching her walk back to the bedroom.

I wanted to say something else, but I couldn't seem to find any words.

I heard the door shut, and then grabbed the blanket from the closet. But when I laid back on the couch, I found I couldn't sleep. I was still reeling from earlier's revelation. What the hell was I supposed to do?

Deciding it was best to just ignore it for now. I reached for Evelyn's book opening to the page she'd left off. A shock went through me as I realized what she'd been reading. I didn't want to, but I couldn't help myself. I smiled.

'Annabel Lee.'

"Not a romantic my ass." I muttered allowing myself to fall back on the cushions as I started to read.


	13. Chapter 13

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while. I'm sorry, I know I say this every time but work and school just gets in the way. I originally wasn't going to post today because I wanted to have this and the next chapter both written before updating but the reviews and messages caused me to upload earlier than planned. So for those who are still reading, I appreciate the patience. Again I'm sorry I know it's been a while since I've been able to update. Thank you to everyone who is messaging and reviewing. I really appreciate it. It helps a lot with motivation. Also, sorry if this chapter seems to end a little abruptly, like I said I'd originally wanted to update with both chapters at once but I felt like I'd kept people waiting long enough so yeah... sorry if this chapter seems a little weird. It's half of what I originally wanted to post... ANYWAYS here's the latest chapter, hope you enjoy!

~Secrethalfblood

P.S. in regards to the question in the reviews about Cass and charmspeak. Yes, he does have the ability, but it's not as strong as some of the other known characters who have it (i.e. Piper, Drew). Also, because charmspeak is somewhat connected to physical appearance, because of his current situation, it's not effective since he's been cursed. Hope that helps!

Epov

 _"Evelyn, what did you do?"_

I woke up confused and sat up, trying to piece together what little I could remember of my dream. From the light peeking through the curtains, I saw in my at some point last night I'd thrown the pillows across the room.

I pressed my hands to my face, memories coming in flashes to my mind's eye. I'd been at camp and it was destroyed. I'd been the one to do it. Other campers had been resisting and…

I looked up and felt myself frown.

Cass had been there.

What the hell?

I had that dream before, plenty of times, but Cass had never been a part of it.

What was that about?

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts as I slid out of bed.

I automatically reached for my sword but came up short when I didn't find it.

Surprised, I looked to my left, expecting to see it on the nightstand but it wasn't there.

"What the-?" I asked quickly glancing around the room but it was nowhere in sight.

Trying not to panic, I frantically went through my recollection of the previous night wondering how the hell I'd managed to lose track of my weapon. I'd had it on me all night, even at the restaurant. The last time I remembered having it was when we'd gotten back to the apartment, I'd set it by the front door as we walked through it.

A jolt of shock went through me as I realized that I hadn't picked it back up. I'd been so distracted talking to Cass I hadn't even thought about it, and then I'd fallen asleep when we'd been on the couch.

This surprised me. I didn't sleep without a weapon. No, I _couldn't_ sleep without a weapon. The very first thing I did when getting ready for bed was make sure it was within reaching distance if I needed it. It was the first thing I looked for when I woke up.

Even more confused now than I was when I woke up, I made my way into the hall.

I was about three steps out the door when I heard Cass's voice. It sounded like he was talking to someone, but not in a language I understood.

I walked into the main part of the apartment to see he was pacing and holding a phone to his ear.

He sounded frustrated and didn't seem to notice me when I stepped into the room until after he ended the call.

"Hey." He said looking a little surprised when he spotted me.

"Hi."

There was a pause as I waited for him to say something but he didn't and I felt a little awkward. His expression was hard to read but something was off. I shifted my weight feeling a little uncomfortable and it must have registered, because he quickly cleared his throat and looked away.

"Sorry about that." He said rubbing the back of his neck looking a little uncomfortable himself. "My Dad's assistant's English isn't great."

"You speak Italian?"

"Enough to get by." He said with a shrug.

"You can speak four languages?" I asked in surprise. In addition to Greek and English, I knew he spoke French. Apparently I had to add Italian to that list as well.

"Five actually." He said and I knew he was trying to sound casual about it, but I could tell that he knew exactly how impressive that was. "I picked up Spanish in Barcelona a few years back."

"Do you think in other languages?" I asked curiously noticing he was avoiding eye contact.

"Do you?" he countered and I thought about it.

"Not really. I only think in Greek if people around me have been speaking it for a while."

"Same answer."

"I guess that was a dumb question." I admitted and I saw him smile. This time he did look at me.

"Not entirely." He conceded. "Sometimes I dream in French."

I wasn't sure why, but I smiled too. I didn't know Cass very well, but I knew him enough to know he was trying to be nice. He had a tendency to scoff at someone when they said something stupid, not try to make them feel better about it.

"So what was the phone call for?"

"Oh, that." He said sounding distracted. "I was trying to get through to my father. We need to get into the show today."

"Did you reach him?"

"No." he said with a sigh. "But Sofia said she'd have passes waiting for us when we get there."

"Can't we just shadow travel in? Or like, bribe open the back door?"

At this he laughed.

"Well, we might be able to but these things have crazy high security. The biggest names in the industry will be there with the latest designs. They're going to be invested into making sure their pieces stay safe. Anyone without a pass is going to be escorted out."

"Pieces?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "You make it sound like art."

"Well," he shrugged. "To them it is. "

"You're not going to make me wear some crazy over the top outfit, are you?" I asked nervously.

At this he smirked and I could see traces of pre-mission Cass cross his expression.

"Why? Do you want to?"

"No." I said stubbornly and crossing over to the door to retrieve my sword. "And you shouldn't want me to either."

"Why's that?" he asked curiously. "It would be interesting to see you in something other than combat boots."

"First off," I said pointing the blade at him. "I _like_ my boots. Second, you have a vested interest in my practical attire."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"Who is going to stop the Minotaur from snapping your neck if I break an ankle trying to fight in heels?" I asked him raising an eyebrow and at this he laughed.

"I didn't say you have to wear stilettoes."

"The boots stay." I said lowering the weapon but keeping my tone firm all the same.

"Alright." He said sounding a little amused. "I guess if anyone complains we'll just shamelessly drop my father's name."

"Is he really that important?" I asked and his expression went blank.

"Yeah." He muttered flatly and turned away.

We didn't have a lot of time to kill before the show, but the next hour was almost entirely silent. When he felt like it, I actually found Cass pretty easy to talk to, but after the comment about his father, it didn't seem like he was in the mood.

"We should probably get going." He said emerging from the bedroom as I repacked my bag.

While he didn't have a room here, Cass had some clothes. He'd gone in to change and when I looked up, I was surprised.

"What?" he asked obviously catching my expression and looking a little confused.

"Huh? Oh... Nothing." I said looking away feeling a little confused myself.

I'd only ever seen Cass at camp, in camp clothes. He might have been insanely attractive, but his clothes were pretty much the same as everyone else's. Only now did I see what a big equalizer that was.

His outfit was simple, but the clothes were obviously tailored and very expensive. He wore a red dress shirt with dark slacks, a dark leather belt that matched his shoes and a thin black tie that all looked very current, not that I really knew what was 'in' these days, let alone what was 'in' for men. But the overall effect was impressive.

"You look good." I said trying pretend I didn't notice my cheeks burning as the words came out, hoping he didn't notice either. I couldn't help but think if April hadn't cursed him, Cass would have had girls lining up to throw themselves at him when he stepped outside.

I guess it wasn't a surprise. Robert Holt was apparently a mogul in the fashion industry, so it would make sense that Cassian Holt, his son and a son of Aphrodite, would have an impeccable fashion sense, but why did I care? I didn't care about clothes, let alone what guys wore. The only guys in my life were very much t-shirt and jeans types. Granted, that was like two people.

Knowing Cass, I expected a response in the form of something witty, or even an attempt to flirt but it didn't come. Puzzled by this, I glanced at him to see his eyes on me. He looked conflicted, as if he wasn't sure how he should react.

"Thanks," he said eventually adjusting his cuffs in what looked like an attempt to avoid my gaze. "But we should probably go."

"You're making me feel underdressed." I said grabbing my bag and following him to the door which he held open for me.

"You're just going to have to get used to that where we're going."

"Think they're going to turn me away at the door?" I asked feeling a little nervous about what might happen to Cass if I left him on his own for too long in a crowd in the mortal world.

"Worse comes to worst we'll tell them you're in the show and you're running very very late."

"What like one of the models?" I asked with a laugh. "Me? Like they'd believe that."

"They'd believe it." he said quietly.

This stopped me in my tracks. Cass kept walking and I stared after him in complete shock.

I couldn't tell you the number of times Cass had called me pretty. He said it all the time, but I always thought it was because he wanted something from me. That was why he interacted with me right? He just wanted to get on my good side and he was a natural flirt. The two just sort of went together, but I'd never actually thought he meant it.

Still… that didn't explain why he said it now. By now he'd have to have figured out that I was going to help him either way.

That had to be a joke, right? He couldn't be serious. No one would mistake me for a model.

I kept waiting for him to laugh and deliver the punchline but he never did.

"C'mon Ev." He said gesturing for me to follow him towards the elevator and after a moment of hesitation, I jogged after him.

Was he serious? Did Cassian Holt of all people _actually_ think I was pretty? That couldn't be right. I didn't think I was unattractive but I knew Cass's type, the kind of girl he liked and I couldn't be farther from it. Even if he did, it didn't matter. We were on a mission. I needed to focus on what we had to do, not what Cass thought about me and even then, it wouldn't have mattered, right? Who cared what he thought about me? I didn't. Did I?

My mind still wrestling this through, I caught up with him in the elevator, and I found myself examining his expression, trying to read the meaning behind his words. He didn't say anything, but checked his cuffs again and I had a feeling he was nervous. As if the words he's just said weren't meant to be out loud.

It wasn't until the doors closed that I realized I was smiling.

The walk to the event was pretty enjoyable. I'll admit, I wasn't doing a very good job of being a body guard. I probably should have been paying a bit more attention to our surroundings, but Cass finally seemed in the mood to talk and I found myself trying to capitalize on that. One thing I did notice however, was that for once, when I was walking on the crowded sidewalk, people weren't avoiding me.

I was so used to people avoiding my gaze and giving me a wide berth that now that they weren't doing it, I found it a little strange. I didn't understand it at first, until Cass made a comment about someone's neon colored sneakers causing me to laugh. I made eye contact with a boy holding hands with his mother as they walked to the toy store we'd just passed. I expected him to shrink away and hide behind his mother. He didn't. Instead, he smiled and waved at me and I waved back a little surprised.

"Something wrong?" Cass asked and I shook my head.

"No." I said still a little wrong footed. "It's just, people aren't avoiding me today."

"You're not in a bad mood." He supplied and I looked at him.

I hadn't expected an answer to that.

"What?"

"You're not in a bad mood." he repeated.

"So?"

"I've known you a while Ev." he said flatly. "You put your guard up around people you don't know. It tends to show."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're whole 'death aura' thing can be intimidating to someone who doesn't know you. It tends to be stronger as your mood gets worse. You don't like being in crowds, on missions, or around people you don't know."

"How do you know that?"

"We've known each other for years." He said patiently. "I pick things up."

I reflected on this for a while as we continued to walk, wondering if Cass was right. I didn't like missions, and I didn't like being out in the open or in crowds. It was a great way for monsters to sneak up on you. All this time I'd assumed I was just destined to always make people uncomfortable and there was nothing I could do about it. But if Cass was to be believed, I wasn't making it easier on myself.

"It's never seemed to bother you." I pointed out.

"I know you."

"But even when we first met, you weren't afraid of me. And that's when most of the camp was pretty sure I was some antisocial freak that was going to go postal and destroy the place."

"Now that seems a bit dramatic." He muttered. He sounded frustrated but I couldn't figure out why. It was the truth. I was sure he was made well aware of my reputation before he'd ever spoken to me but being reminded of this seemed to be upsetting him so I figured it might be time to change the thread of the conversation.

"How's your arm feeling?"

"It hurts." He said flexing it therapeutically and rubbing the injury without thought. "But I guess it seems relatively minor compared to what you've had to deal with before."

"Maybe, but I'm used to it."

"You ever think that's a little messed up?"

"What?"

"That you're used to stuff like this?" he said gesturing towards his arm. "Injuries, fights, constantly in situations where you could get seriously hurt or worse."

"Permanent custody?"

"Yeah." He said shortly as if he didn't want to think about it.

"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "But stuff like this just happens. I'm a demigod."

"You're a teenager."

"Who happens to be able to control the undead. You know you really don't have to worry about me so much Cass."

He scowled and I laughed, finding the expression familiar.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously, what is it?"

"Nothing." I repeated. "It's just, the face you made. It reminded me of someone."

"Who?" he asked sounding curious.

"My brother."

"You have a brother?" he asked sounding surprised.

I nodded.

"Yeah. Well, sort of."

"How do you sort of have a brother?" he asked sounding skeptical.

"He's not actually related to me." I admitted. "But he might as well be. His parents worked with my mom when we were little. They were on their way to a conference in Brazil when their plane crashed, so my mom took him in."

"I'm guessing he's a mortal?"

"Yeah."

"What's his name?"

"Nick."

By his expression, I could tell this information meant something to him, but I couldn't figure out what. I didn't have time to examine it however before he said.

"What about my face reminded you of him?" he asked, sounding careful to control his tone and I shrugged.

"I dunno, he just gives me the same look when I remind him I can take care of myself. Like it annoys him when I say that. It's kind of funny. Most people, even my mom, let me handle things on my own."

"Well, to his credit, I'm assuming he doesn't know you're an extremely powerful demigod."

"True," I said. "So what's your excuse?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nick has to worry about me, I'm his little sister. Why do you?"

"I don't worry about you." he said frowning.

"You just said it's messed up that I'm used to the demigod life."

"To be fair, it's messed up that anyone our age should have to deal with what we have to deal with."

"You checked on me after Broderick pulled that stunt at the dining pavilion."

"Broderick is an idiot."

"You asked me if I was alright after his sister attacked Maya."

"So?" he asked by now looking uncomfortable. "I was being polite."

"Since when have _you_ ever cared about being polite?" I asked with a laugh.

Cassian didn't really give a second thought to what people would think about him when he said exactly whatever was going through his mind. It was kind of a defining characteristic for him.

"I don't see why this is such a big deal." He muttered looking frustrated. "Is it so bad that I care about your well-being? We're friends right?"

"Yeah." I agreed.

"So, what's the big deal then? Friends care about their friends. It isn't that hard to understand."

I didn't answer mostly because I was thinking about what he said. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, and I guess when you looked at it, Cass and I were friends. But I'd always seen our friendship as the 'just more than acquaintances' and 'out of convenience' kind. I mean, sure I'd agreed to help him, but I helped other campers all the time. Most of them I wouldn't have considered myself particularly close with, or even as being my friends. And again, this was Cass. He didn't really seem to care that much about his friends. The only person I really saw him make an effort to show he cared about was his sister Angela, and… well I guess me.

This was a bit of a revelation for me. I mean, Cass was nice to me, he always had been, but I'd always dismissed it because I thought he wanted something. But thinking back, from the very start of our weird relationship, there were plenty of times I could think of Cass being kind to me for no reason other than just being kind.

This was weird for Cass. He could be charming, nearly every girl in camp knew just how charming he could be, but he generally wasn't nice. And I found with this realization I was plagued by a surge of guilt.

My friends and I often felt bitter about the way we've been treated at camp. For being judged or dismissed without people really trying to get to know us. I'd never been mean to Cass, but at the same time, had I done the same thing to him? Assumed I knew who he was and why he did the things that he did because of his reputation? I mean, we were friends, we'd established that. But so far, Cass had been the one putting in the most effort to act like it.

Immediately I was determined to resolve this. I wasn't exactly sure why this was so important to me or why I felt so strongly about it, but it was and I did. And I decided if I was going to be friends with Cass, I needed to learn more about his part of the mythological world.

"You know, I never imagined I'd be looking for Aphrodite on one of my missions." I said linking my arm with his and while he seemed surprised by the contact, he allowed it to continue. "What's she like?"

"Who? Mom?" he asked and I nodded.

"She's a little hard to sum up in words." He continued thoughtfully. "I think you're just going to have to meet her." He smiled and looked down at me. "You know, I still want to meet your dad."

"Yeah and you're actually crazy for that."

"Why?"

"Because my dad is…" I thought for a second, trying to find the best way to describe him. "Dark."

"Dark?"

"Yeah. He's one of those iceberg personalities. Cold and ninety percent of what's going on is below the surface. Compared to my dad, my 'death aura' as you put it, is downright cheerful. And that's when he isn't pissed off."

"So? Just because something is dark doesn't mean it's bad."

"What are you telling me for? I know that. It's the rest of the world that doesn't agree with you."

"Then why do you think I'm crazy for wanting to meet your dad?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well," I said a little confused. "Your mother's part of the Olympians. Most of them, and mortals, don't really like the Underworld."

"Because it's dark?"

"Yeah."

There were a few seconds of silence between us as we continued to walk, where he seemed to be thinking about what he wanted to say.

"What if I like dark?" he asked quietly.

I felt a shock go through me as he said that, and I didn't dare look at him. My heart had skipped a beat and suddenly, I was very aware of the fact my arm was still linked with his. I half expected flirty Cass to come back, to say something smart to which I could respond with a sarcastic remark and we moved forward with our conversation as usual. But neither of those things happened.

I tried to think of something to say to this, but my brain both seemed to be reeling at a thousand miles an hour yet stuck at the same time. What did he mean by that? Friends, right? I mean, we were friends. That's what he had to mean. Because if he meant anything else…

No. This was Cass we were talking about here. I knew what Cassian Holt, and guys like him, liked. They liked pretty, popular girls and being obsessed over by them. Not people like my father, not girls like me.

So why had he said that?

 _'What if I like dark?'_

"I'm not sure you completely understand what that means." I said keeping my voice even.

Sure, Cass and I got along. We might gel well enough to be friends. But what did he really know about what I could do? The world my father came from? He'd seen what, a few shadow tricks? A little bit of what happened when I was angry when I'd gone after Vivian? But that was minor stuff. He hadn't seen the skeletons clawing their way out of the earth, he'd never had to face the hellhounds when I called them to attack. He didn't know about spirits. He hadn't seen me when I was really angry and if he did… if he saw what I saw in my nightmares… I wonder how much he'd like 'dark', then.

"Care to enlighten me?"

"You don't know what you're asking Cass."

I wasn't sure why, but I felt uncomfortable and strained. Like someone was trying to force me to take an exam I hadn't studied for in a class I'd never taken.

"Ev-"

"Look, we can revisit this topic later ok?" I said cutting him off and letting go of him to cross my arms over my chest. "But right now, we should be focusing on finding your mother."

"Alright."

His tone was impossible to read but I felt something rise between us like a wall and I'd been the one to put it there.

I wasn't sure why I was having this reaction. Just a few minutes ago I wanted to get to know him better, and now I felt like I wanted to be as far away from him as physically possible on the crowded sidewalk.

Despite what he'd said, I couldn't help but picture scenes in my head, of Cass looking at me in horror like so many other had. Of course I was used to it by now. I'd accepted that was always going to happen. But at this point, and it was absolutely crazy to think this way, I wasn't sure if I could handle that from him.

Maybe I'd realized that if he really did want to see what I was capable of, and found he didn't like it, well, it would be easier if I started creating distance now.


	14. Chapter 14

Merry Christmas everyone! I figured since it's the giving season, I'd try and upload two chapters today! And after a lot of effort, I am happy to deliver! Thank you to everyone who's been reading/favoriting/ following/reviewing/messaging!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

We didn't talk much as we walked the remaining few blocks to the show. Looking back the conversation, I might have pushed Evelyn a little too hard, but in my defense, I was working with almost no parameters.

I'd never felt like this before, I'd never been in a situation like this. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to operate. Don't get me wrong, I knew how to talk to girls, but something told me the standard Cassian charm wouldn't get anything more than an eye roll from Evelyn, and even if it did work, it wasn't like I could do it now.

That being said, I wasn't a complete idiot. In fact, I'm actually pretty smart, not that most people bothered to get to know that. I might not have been in this situation before, but that didn't change that I was a son of Aphrodite. My looks might be gone for the moment, but when it came to people I had some advantages. I'd always been good at reading them. I might not be used to a girl like Evelyn. But that didn't mean I couldn't figure her out. It just meant I might actually have to try for once.

I'd expected to find the thought exhausting, but I didn't. I was interested. Evelyn was interesting to me. She always had been. Maybe that's why I liked her so much.

I chanced a glance at her to see her eyes, that were fixed firmly in front of us, were intense. She looked like she was thinking about something, but it was impossible to tell. She'd said her father was the 'iceberg' type. Well, he wasn't the only one. If you asked me, the trait was genetic.

But again, I was smarter than most people expected me to be. I hadn't known Evelyn all this time and learned nothing about her. Evelyn was avoidant. Ask her to slaughter a horde of monsters or stick up for her friends, she'd be the first one there with her sword, make her deal with an emotion however, and she'd slip off into the shadows. She didn't like to be uncomfortable, and because she was so powerful, no one liked to push her on that point. But there was a reason why I could get things out of her when no one else could. And if I'm honest, it really wasn't all that hard. She wasn't used to being challenged, make her uncomfortable, and she didn't really know what to do.

My problem wasn't getting Evelyn's attention, I could do that just fine. My issue was that she had a perception of me that I needed to challenge. Only then would it be able to change, but to do that, I'd need her to confront things she might not want to. Evelyn wasn't good with change. The question was, how much was too much? And was it worth creating the mess it might take to get there?

I'd been thinking about this a lot since my realization last night and had to a few conclusions. One, I liked Evelyn. I could and probably should ignore it for now, we were on a mission after all and we had a goal to achieve, but for the first time since we'd left camp, I wasn't thinking about the mission. This led me to conclusion two. I didn't want to. I didn't want to ignore this. I wanted to see where this would go which was a complete paradigm shift for me. One I wasn't even sure I knew how to handle.

Most of the time, after I got to know a girl, I eventually ended up wanting her to go away. And maybe that sounds rough, but as several people have pointed out to me over the years, I wasn't exactly the nicest person. But with Evelyn it was different. I'd never wanted her to go away. And I'd knew her better than any other girl I'd met.

This led me to my final conclusion. I didn't care how messy things got, I wanted to see where things would go with Evelyn even if I crashed and burned trying to get there. But even if I was willing to admit that, that didn't mean she was on the same page. Thanks to my mother, I might have an over developed sense of insight into other people's emotions, but Evelyn was an extremely powerful demigod. That made things more difficult.

"I'm guessing we're here." She said breaking me from my thoughts and I glanced at her to see her pointing towards a spot farther up on the sidewalk where the crowd was even more congested, separated from the general foot traffic by a purple velvet rope. "They're dressed to impress, even for New York standards."

"That's just the line for the general admission to the show Ev." I said recognizing the familiar 'E' insignia of my father's company on the building. "Just wait til you see what the people who matter are wearing."

"Who matter?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Do those people not matter?"

"Not to the industry."

At this she frowned.

"Seems a little callous."

"Just how it is." I said with a shrug.

"Well, who matters to the industry?"

"Whoever's in at the moment mostly. Models, designers, brands. People with money, power, or influence."

"I'm guessing your dad fits in those last few categories?"

"So does yours." I pointed out, deflecting the question and she seemed understand this.

"Alright, point taken." She said quietly and shoving her hands in her pockets. "Where are we headed?"

"To the front."

"We get to skip the line?" she asked in surprise.

"Perks of having a father in the last few categories." I muttered taking her hand and dragging her through the crowd.

We made our way to the front of the line where a man in his early twenties with a clipboard, scanner, and a headset was standing. I knew he was event staff because I'd seen him before at other shows, but I'd never learned his name.

"Are you who we see about getting into the show?" I asked.

"Back of the line dude." He said annoyed without looking up. "We're not letting people in for another half an hour."

"We need to get our passes." Evelyn said.

The female voice caused him to look up.

"Sorry sweet heart." He said in a grating tone, and I found I was irritated when I could tell he was disappointed as his eyes landed on her. "But if you don't already have your passes you're not getting in. We've been sold out for weeks." He turned back to me. "You know you should really teach your girlfriend how to dress dude."

Evelyn looked down at her 'Metallica' shirt in surprise, and while she didn't look offended, I was.

" _You're_ saying that?" I asked raising an eyebrow. He had to be kidding. His shirt was a cheap black button up that was too small, and a white tie that was too long and wide to be in style. "You looked like you got dressed in the dark."

Anger crossed his features, but before things could escalate, Evelyn cut in.

"Calm down." She said putting a hand on my arm and looking at the staff member. "His father's assistant Sofia said she left tickets for us at the door."

I felt a little satisfaction when he want pale and his eyes grew wide. Clearly he knew who Sofia was an assistant to, and was regretting getting an attitude to someone who might know my father.

"Oh, uh, yeah she did leave a note…what are your names?" he asked frantically flipping through the papers on the clipboard.

"Evelyn Blake and Cassian Holt." I said and he hesitated.

"Cassian...Holt?"

"Yes." she responded with a nod.

"As in Robert Holt's son?"

"Yeah." Evelyn said clearly not seeing the problem that was now causing my stomach to sink.

"Get out of here." The guy said getting irritated again and waving his hand in an impatient matter.

"We still need our passes." Evelyn said frowning and he let out a humorless laugh.

"You guys aren't getting anything from me."

"But-"

"Look. I don't know what kind of game you guys are playing, but stop wasting my time." He snapped. "I've seen Cassian Holt before. Cassian Holt doesn't look like him." He jerked his thumb in my direction. "And no offense sweetie, but a guy that looks like Cassian, wouldn't be caught a dead with a girl like you."

I felt a spike of fury go through me but Evelyn just laughed.

"A girl like me huh?" she asked with a grin, but it didn't reach her eyes which were flashing with warning.

"Yeah. Now are you guys going to leave or am I going to have to call security."

"Yeah, you're going to want to. If you're fast enough."

"Wha-" he started but he was on the ground before he could even finish the question.

A couple people gasped and we were attracting quite a lot attention from the people in line and passersby, but she didn't seem bothered.

He reached for his head set, but in one motion she'd grabbed his shirt in one hand, her blade in the other, and cut through the wire that lead from his head set to the receiver tucked in his pocket.

"See you're about to learn something about a girl like me. And why someone like Cass," she tilted her head in my direction. "Might want me around."

He tried throw her off but she kept him pinned to the sidewalk.

"You see if you knew anything about me, I promise you wouldn't be calling me 'sweetie'. People like me get results. You and your friends in 'security' don't scare me, I've taken down things much bigger and badder than you. So, when I tell you that is Cassian Holt, it's in your best interest to believe that. Got it?"

Her voice was calm, but her eyes were forbidding and the temperature around us was dropping. The man might have been a mortal, but not even a mortal would have missed the power radiating from her at the moment.

"Yeah." He said his voice shaking and Evelyn let him go.

"Excellent." She said pleasantly, replacing her weapon on her belt and standing up. "Now I believe you have something for us."

The people waiting in line were muttering, looking uneasy, and others on the sidewalk were giving us a wide berth, but she was either unaware of or was ignoring this because she continued to glare at the man who was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Well?"

"Right." He said shuffling through his clipboard as he got to his feet, scanning the papers.

He located the passes but before he could hand them over. A burley man stepped out of the doors and glared at the three of us. He was tall and bald, and on his tight black shirt the word 'security' was written across the chest. Obviously someone had seen the commotion through the doors and called it in.

"Everything alright out here Keith?" the man asked scowling at Evelyn who didn't look phased.

"Yeah Keith," she said giving him a wicked smile. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine." He muttered handing over the passes.

"Just a little misunderstanding." Evelyn said turning to the guard. "C'mon Cass."

She handed me my pass while putting the lanyard of hers around her neck and walking through the door.

Not really sure what else to do, and very aware of the dozens of eyes that were on me, I muttered an apology to the staff member, nodded at the guard, and followed her into the building trying to act like I didn't hear all the whispers.

"What was that?" I asked when I caught up to her.

"What was what?"

"I'm pretty sure that guy needs to change his pants after talking to you."

"Oh he'll get over it." she said impatiently.

"I dunno, he looked a little freaked." I pressed. "That was pretty aggressive for you Ev. I thought you preferred it when things didn't come to blows?"

"He had an attitude." She said defensively.

"Since when do you care about that?" I asked shaking my head. "If someone with a bad attitude bothered you that much you'd have killed Broderick about two days after you met him."

"We needed our passes." She said stubbornly. "And he was being an ass."

"I could have called my father's assistant." I pointed out and she didn't answer.

There was a couple of, seconds that passed where neither of us spoke.

"You did it so he'd stop talking about the way I looked. Didn't you?" I asked.

Again, she didn't respond, but I knew I was right.

"Thanks." I said quietly.

"No problem."

The lobby of the building was exactly as I remembered it. Modern, clean, with a brass reflecting pool sunken into the dark granite floors.

"Gods," she muttered looking a little annoyed. "This place looks like my father built it."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "I figure you'd feel at home."

"I get enough of the austere power persona architecture when I go to Dad's place."

"You know it's really weird to hear someone reference the palace of the Underworld as 'Dad's place.'"

"What else should I call it?" she asked skeptically.

"I dunno. Maybe just the palace?"

"Seems kind of uppity." She said with a frown.

"Aren't you technically royalty?" I asked with genuine curiosity and she looked at me like I was crazy. "What? Your father is King of his domain isn't he? Wouldn't that make you like, a princess?"

"Do I look like a princess to you Cass?" she asked indignantly.

"Doesn't matter what you look like, it's what you are."

"I don't think illegitimate kids count in the royal line. My father has nice legitimate kids to lay claim to the throne should anyone need to. But feel free to ask Persephone her opinion if you run into her."

This last comment was sarcastic.

"I'm guessing you don't have a good relationship with your step-mom?"

"Let's just say it's only safe to visit my father in the summer."

We'd walked to the end of the lobby, where two massive black doors stood separating it from the event.

"So if you don't like your Dad's place, and you refuse to stay at camp during the year, where's home?"

"My mom's house, in Georgia." She said as if this was obvious and I blinked.

"Georgia?"

"Yeah." She said giving me a strange look. "What?"

"I didn't realize you were a southern bell." I said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes. "You don't even have an accent."

"Knock it off Cass. I grew up in Vermont. We moved to Georgia two years ago when my mom got her current job."

I continued to smirk and she scowled.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking something."

"Are you gonna be a debutant?"

"Will you grow up?"

"You could put on one of those pretty dresses."

"Cass…"

"Go to one of those coming out parties."

"I'm warning you."

"What? You don't think it will be fun?"

She put her hand on the hilt of her sword and glared at me.

"I'm not above using this." She said darkly

"Alright, you win." I said putting my hands up in surrender. "Let's just try and find my mom."

"Good plan." She said with a nod.

We pushed open the doors so see absolute chaos on the other side. The room we entered was huge with a massive square run way that ran through the center of the room, and disappeared back into the curtains of the stage it originated from. The runway wrapped around a massive center piece that looked angelic in nature, with large white wings, and wispy material that I supposed passed as an abstract form of cloud and a silver halo at the top. Chairs were set up in front of and beside the runway. People were weaving through them, running to set up last minute decorations, doing sound checks with the DJ, testing the lights while models were chased by production teams, spraying them with hair spray and doing last minute touch ups to makeup and designs.

"I'm starting to think I should have let you dress me." She muttered as several people stopped in their tracks to gawk at her.

Across the room, two girls, models probably, in robes with the company name printed across the back pointed at her and openly laughed.

"Don't worry about what they think." I said scanning the room after glaring at the girls.

"I don't care what they think." She said with a scowl. "I just don't want to draw attention to us. Do you see your Mom anywhere?"

"No." I said frowning continuing to search.

"Well, you said she likes to play super model. Maybe she's in the show and she's backstage getting ready."

"You're probably right." I said my heart sinking.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's go back there and find her."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting back stage?" I asked her raising an eyebrow.

"What? We can't just like… walk back there?" she asked curiously.

"No." I said incredulously. "If we could, then any nut job that wanted to could go back there, steal things, harass the models."

"Then what do we do?" she asked frowning.

"I guess just try to grab some seats as close to the front as possible and try to get her attention if she comes out on stage. Hopefully not too many are reserved."

"That's your plan?" she asked indignantly.

"Have you got a better one?"

"How in my father's name is she going to see two people a room this size, with those stage lights on?" she asked pointing towards the light board above us.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

"We need to get back stage."

"But how Ev?"

Before she could respond, a harried group of people rushed by, all trying to talk to the same man in the middle at once.

"The release on the balloon net still isn't working sir."

"Tiffany's shoes have disappeared and no one can find the veil for the taffeta gown."

"Alexa is too short for the opening dress, when she walks it hides the lace at the bottom of the skirt and the only girl tall enough had to take Roxy's place in the lattice design."

"Vultures all of you." he said petulantly. "Away, I need to think. Figure it out, it's what you're paid for."

He made a flapping gesture and pushed out of the huddle only to walk straight into Evelyn.

He was on the shorter side of average for a man his age, which I put in the late thirties, with dyed gray hair, a metallic blue gray suit jacket, and black square glasses that I knew were purely ornamental.

Anger flashed across his features for just a second, but right as she'd started to apologize, his eyes went wide.

"I've found her." He said excitedly.

"Uh, what?" Evelyn asked. "Hey!"

He'd put his hands on her shoulders still looking at her as if all of his dreams had just come true.

"The girl for the last dress in the collection. The dark angel, I've found her."

"You've got to be kidding me." One of the assistants said as the man started to circle Evelyn, who looked beyond confused.

"She's perfect." He said continuing to take in her appearance. "The black hair, the brooding persona, the dark eyes. She's exactly as I imagined her."

"What?"

"She's even the right build." He said with approval, completely ignoring Evelyn's obvious confusion. "Does anyone know who she is?" he asked looking at his team.

They all shook their heads.

"It doesn't matter. Someone get her into hair and makeup. You there, boy." He snapped his fingers at me which I found extremely irritating, but I ignored for now. "Are you with this girl?"

He gestured to Evelyn.

"Yeah."

"Alright, he comes too. Everyone follow me. We need to get her ready and the dress altered now."

"Are you serious?" a second assistant asked.

"Make it happen people, or your all fired."

Immediately people started running, pushing Evelyn towards the stage, panic in their eyes.

"Cass, what the hell is going on?" she hissed while people urged her to pick up the pace.

"I think you're being discovered." I muttered unable to help but be a little amused.

"What?"

"Do you know who that was?"

"No."

"That was Grayson Newhart. He's the headlining designer for this show."

"So?"

"So he wants you to wear one of his dresses."

"For the show?" she screeched immediately digging in her heels while people tried to push her towards the stage. "Absolutely not." She said continuing to resist. "There's no way in hell. Get off of me!"

She started hitting the assistants, but I caught her arm and dragged her out of the group.

"Just give us a second." I said with a pacifying tone and gesture as they looked frantically between Evelyn and the stage, clearly terrified that their jobs were still on the line.

"I'm not going back there Cass." She said shaking her head and trying to pull her arm out of my grip. "There is absolutely no way."

"Ev-"

"I'm not going to do it."

"Evelyn."

"You can't make me." She continued, still struggling

"Ev, will you just calm down listen for a second?" I asked catching her wrist and she looked at me, her expression a little shell-shocked.

"Look we have to get backstage." I said keeping my voice low.

"If you think for a second that I am going to go out there and-"

"I'm not saying you have to be a part of the show." I muttered. "Just go back there with them, put on the dress and buy me some time to find my mother. Ok? Then, after I've found her, we can leave."

"Oh."

"Think you can handle that?"

Her eyes were still wide, but eventually she nodded.

"Yeah." she said taking a deep breath. "Yeah I can do that."

"Good." I said taking her shoulders and turning her towards the assistants. "She's all yours guys."

She groaned but it was cut short as they rushed over and marched her towards the stage.

Grinning slightly, I put my hands in my pockets and followed the group.


	15. Chapter 15

Epov

I'd never really thought much about fashion, so I'd never really had a reason to think about what might happen behind stage at a major fashion show. I can now tell you, it's pretty much chaos.

Girls were running around, their hair in curlers, in half assembled outfits, being followed by people brushes and bundles of fabric in their arms.

Several people were trying to talk to me at once, but I didn't hear a word. Cass followed us looking far from surprised and I'd figured he must have seen all of this before. After about thirty more seconds of being pushed back stage, I was forced into a canvas chair in front of a large mirror with lights along the frame.

People kept turning to look at me as they rushed to where ever they were supposed to be, and I caught a few whispers, but I tried to ignore them. It was clear they were trying to figure out who I was, but if I was lucky, I wouldn't be here long enough for them to get anywhere near close to that information.

"Are there any makeup artists available?" one of the assistants asked sounding panicked.

"No, all the time slots have been booked." A second responded. "All the stylists are with someone right now.'"

"Well we have to do something. Why does he always do this stuff? Who is this girl? Why would he just throw her in the show?"

"Maybe we can get a few of the interns from the cosmetics team."

Cass, being Cass, let out an irritated noise that only I caught as the assistants ran off to try and find someone and I looked at him in the mirror.

"What was that about?"

"This is a major show and their trusting your makeup to a bunch of interns that sort files and get coffee?" he let out a sardonic laugh. "That's going to work."

"You know I'm still not really sure I understand why I'm here."

"Designers are often very belligerent when it comes to the look that they want to achieve, and he's got a vision."

"So get a professional to do it." I said with a shrug.

"I'm sure if there was one available he would have."

"I'm not a model."

"Maybe that's not the look he's going for this time."

"I'm not going on that stage." I reminded him and he rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to Ev."

"If they try to make me I _will_ hurt someone."

"I know."

Just then three people came sprinting towards us, weaving in and out of the others rushing around. Two girls and a man that looked to be in their late teens and early twenties.

"I'm going to go look for my mom." Cass said putting a hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze as they dropped literally cases full of makeup on the counter in front of me. "Good luck."

He started to turn as the interns began to discuss what they wanted to do, but froze when he heard what they were saying.

"Who is this girl?"

"What sort of foundation should we use? Do you know what will match her skin tone?"

"Her eyes are so dark. Do you think we should use a charcoal liner or…?"

"Oh for god's sake." Cass muttered shaking his head and turning back to face them. "None of you know what you're doing. Get out of the way."

They looked at each other in surprise but backed off as he started grabbing brushes and pallets, muttering to himself in obvious irritation in a mix of languages.

"Cass, what are you doing?" I asked a little awkwardly as he lifted my chin, looking at me with an analytic expression. "Go find your mom."

"I'm not going to walk away and let them mess up your pretty face."

"What does it matter?" I whispered incredulously. "I'm not going out there anyways, who cares?"

"It's the principle of the thing." He said. "It's not going to take long, you don't need a lot done anyways. Look up."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. And try not to move too much."

Now generally, I was an action type of girl. I was used to fighting monsters and battle training, I didn't sit still very well. But this was much more Cass's domain than mine, and he was very close to my face with a lot of pointy objects. I decided it was probably best just to do what I was told.

I sat there for the next few minutes doing my best not to move or blink, but when he came at me with what looked like a pair of wonky scissors, I pulled my head away.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"This?" he asked a little amused, looking at it, then back at me as if he thought I was being a baby.

"It looks like a torture device."

"It's an eyelash curler Ev."

"You're going to put that next to my eye?" I asked in horror.

"Yeah, that's kind of its function."

"Keep that thing away from my face."

"it's not going to hurt." He said putting his the tip of his pinky between the two pads connected to the handles and pressing down. "See?"

I continued to look at it warily and he laughed.

"Now that hurts Ev, you don't trust me?"

"I trust you." I said defensively. "Just not the metal pincer you're going to be holding a centimeter from my eye."

"You're the reigning champion in the arena but you're afraid of an eyelash curler?"

"I'm not afraid." I insisted.

"It's ok if you are." He said in a pacifying tone.

"It's common sense, I don't want metal things near my eye."

"Scary metal things."

"Shut up Cass."

"Hey! Goth girl!" someone shouted and we both looked over my shoulder to the voice that called. "Make up's over! We gotta get you fitted for the dress."

"Goth girl?" I asked scowling and Cass chuckled.

"Not a fan?"

"No. And I wish I could say that's the first time I heard that." I muttered darkly.

"Let's go goth girl."

He smirked and walked around the chair offering a hand to help me up by I didn't move.

"Something wrong?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

I hadn't been paying attention to what Cass had been doing when he was applying the makeup, I'd mostly just zoned out while trying to keep still. But now that he'd moved, he was no longer between me and the mirror. I could see my reflection.

"What the hell did you do to my face?" I said and in the glass, I saw his expression turn to one of surprise. I looked at him.

"The usual, eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick that stuff. What? You don't like it?"

"Like it?" I asked in shock looking back at the mirror. "I look… pretty."

Again, I saw his expression change in the reflection, but I was too distracted by my own face to be able to interpret his.

I didn't consider myself unattractive, but I didn't think I stuck out in a crowd either. I'd always seen myself as just kind of… plain. Apart from my powers, as a person, I considered myself fairly average.

"Jeez." I said touching the mirror almost not sure if the person that I was seeing was really me. "You really know what you're doing with that stuff."

"You look beautiful." He said quietly. "But you always were."

I glanced at him, but he wasn't looking at me. I was still trying to figure out what to say to this when a voice from behind us said.

"Hey, let's go."

It was the guy who'd shouted at us before and he looked annoyed. He reached to pull me out of the chair but I pushed him away.

"Keep your hands to yourself man," I said, irritated with the amount of physical contact I'd had with strangers today. "I'm coming."

Once again, we walked through the people running back and forth trying to get last minute things done before the show. I was taken to a room farther back, where mannequin was set up on a stand in front of a wall of mirrors. I stopped dead when I saw the dress.

"Wow." Cass muttered letting out a low whistle.

"Oh absolutely not."

"Have fun with that." He said clapping me on the shoulder with a smirk.

"I'm going to kill you."

"And that's my cue to leave."

He waved and started to walk away. I tried to go after him but was grabbed by several people and pushed towards the dress.

Grudgingly, I allowed it to be put on, all the while wondering just how many mortals it would take to restrain me if I decided to fight back.

I'll admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought. The dress wasn't exactly comfortable, the back was laced up like a corset so I couldn't breathe and they couldn't have picked a scratchier material if they tried, but I had to admit, it was pretty.

I would have almost thought it was princess like, except that it was black. The skirt was made out of what they said was called 'tulle', which I'd never heard of, and had splashes of gray in it. All I knew was that it was very poofy and swished whenever I moved. The 'tulle' or whatever they wanted to call it, wrapped around the top of the dress into sleeves set off the shoulder. An intricate pattern scrawled across the top of the dress, like the branches of trees in winter, set against a cloudy sky.

Overall, even I had to admit it was impressive, and I kind of saw why Cass had said the designers saw their clothing as art. That being said, I still didn't like that I was the one wearing it.

"Is she in it? Does she look fantastic?" said a familiar voice asked eagerly and I looked over my shoulder, past the people circling me with pins to see the Grayson guy walking into the room.

"Ah! Elle est magnifique!" he said brightly spreading his arms. He said a few other words that Cass I'm sure would have understood but I couldn't make any sense of, all while he was still beaming.

"Wonderful," he said after he'd circled me twice. "Absolutely wonderful. What's your name dear?" He asked smiling at me.

"Evelyn." I said automatically, wishing I'd been a bit smarter and had given him a fake one.

"Someone get Evelyn a hair stylist and then we can attach the wings."

"Wings?" I asked surprised.

"Of course," he said brightly. "The theme is heaven on earth after all."

"Oh… yeah. Wings." I said trying to sound excited while feeling my jaw clench. "Great."

I was ushered to a bigger room, this one with several stands and mirrors were girls were standing, also surrounded by people finishing their dresses.

"Who are you?" one of the girls asked raising an eyebrow as I was pushed on a stand.

She was in a long white evening gown, that looked as if it were made out of silk, and had only one wing attached to it. She was, well, what you'd expect a model to be. Tall, gorgeous, with long blonde hair and a statuesque figure. I would have thought she might have been Aphrodite, but I had a feeling if she was, she might have some insight as to who I really was.

Her face was beautiful but pulled into an expression of disapproval as she looked at me.

"No one." I said shaking my head. "Absolutely no one."

"Hm." She was all she said, but she must have been satisfied with this response because she went back to the conversation she was having with the equally as gorgeous brunette to her left.

"Did you hear?" the brunette said with a smile. Her voice was low, but I could still hear it, and there was something about her tone I didn't like.

"Hear what?"

"Rumor has it Cassian Holt's coming to the show."

She gave the blonde a significant look and I noticed the conversations around me had stopped. It appeared as if every girl in the room was trying to listen in.

"And why should I care about that?" the blonde asked sounding bored, adjusting a minuscule flaw in her hairstyle and checking her work from several different angles in the mirror.

"Because," the brunette said with a smirk. "If it's true, this is the first time he's shown up to an event in years. You want to keep walking in the Étoile shows don't you? You know who his father is." she said slyly. "And any girlfriend of Cassian's would probably get a lot of face time with the COO."

She gave her another significant look, and the blonde seemed to think.

"Does he like models?" The blonde asked curiously and a felt of stab of anger go through me like a knife in the gut. She was actually considering it.

"Well," The brunette said with a terse laugh. "From what I hear, modeling is what got him shipped off in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he _was_ a pretty cute kid. Apparently, his dad wanted him to model for the company and he said no." She shrugged, and looking far from concerned, she continued with. "Next thing everyone knew he was gone, people haven't seen him much since if at all. But you know what they say about his father. The man can't resist a pretty face."

At this they both smirked.

"I'd be willing to bet his son would be the same." The brunette said smugly and I felt my hands curl into fists.

"You're wrong." I muttered angrily, wondering what on Olympus was making me say it.

"Um, excuse me?" the blonde said as both girls turned to me.

"You're wrong." I said knowing that they weren't. Cass only dated pretty girls, and dated them because they were pretty, but for some reason I kept saying things anyways. "Cass is a good person, and he wouldn't be stupid enough to be tricked by either one of you."

That part was probably true. Cass might be a bit of a gray area morally, but he'd always been nice to me, and despite the insane dress I was currently wearing, I'd never been a beauty queen. One thing I was sure of though, was that he wouldn't be stupid enough to be taken in by girls like them.

"And who are you to decide that?" the brunette asked looking affronted. "Do you know him?"

Uh oh.

"Uh…" I started inwardly cursing myself. Why was I even talking to these girls? Why hadn't I kept my mouth shut? Once again, I found myself getting involved in a situation I probably shouldn't have because I had this strange, but strong desire to defend Cass.

I got lucky.

"Ladies! Five minutes!"

Grayson had returned and everyone started rushing. People were talking to me, telling me what to do and when but I tuned them out. It wasn't really going to matter. None of it applied to me anyways and besides, I was too busy thinking.

After Cass and April had broken up, I'd heard people around camp saying that what he'd done and the things he'd said were cruel. Well, there might be some truth in that, but after what I'd just seen, did he have a point? Had people always treated him like this? Because if they had… well, no wonder he'd turned into a bit of a romantic sociopath. Who wouldn't?

Cpov

It didn't take long to find my mother. In a mass of people running back and forth back stage, she was the one person sitting tranquilly, looking quite at her ease. And why wouldn't she be? Here she was in her element.

She was dressed in a simple pink gown with gold embroidery, sitting in front of a mirror fixing some nonexistent mistake in her make up. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with long golden blonde hair and light blue eyes that reminded me very much of Angela. Some people might have been a little weirded out, being my age and seeing their mother only a few years older than them. But this was Aphrodite after all. I had a feeling she'd never let herself look a day older than thirty. And even that might be pushing it.

"Cassian." She said brightly when she caught my reflection in the mirror. "How are you sweet heart?"

She turned and beamed at me, and I found I was shocked.

"Mom." I said a little surprised. "You… you recognize me?"

"Of course I recognize you darling, don't be absurd!" she said with a laugh, standing and giving me a hug. "What mother wouldn't recognize her own son?"

She let me go, but kept her hands on my shoulders, her smile positively radiant.

"You've gotten so tall." She said fondly placing a hand on my cheek. "I can remember when you were barely taller than my knee and I gave you your first copy of Vogue."

"Right." I said a little awkwardly. I'd forgotten how expressive she was when it came to emotions.

"What are you doing here sweetheart?" she asked curiously. "Are you here to talk to your father? I thought things were on the outs between the two of you?"

"What? No, I'm not here to talk to Dad." I said irritated and she frowned.

"Then why are you here?"

"I was looking for you."

"Why?" she asked sounding puzzled.

"Why?" I asked incredulous. "Mom, are you serious? Look at me!"

She sighed and released me, shaking her head as she turned away.

"You know I'm disappointed in you Cass." She said returning to the mirror to reapply her lip gloss. "Looks aren't everything, you should know that by now."

"Are _you_ seriously saying that?" I asked incensed. "While you're touching up your _makeup_?"

"I have a show to do." She said dismissively. "People are depending on me to look flawless. Is anyone depending on the way you look Cass? Besides yourself?"

"What does that matter?"

"I am your mother." She said simply. "It's my responsibility to ensure you're instilled with proper values."

"Your job? I haven't seen you in over two years. The only person who had even less to do with raising me than you is Dad."

"You should respect your father Cass." She said mildly.

"Dad can go to hell." I snapped, a flash of anger flaring through me. "Or Hades, whatever. Look, I need your help mom. April-"

"Oh I know all about the fight with your little girlfriend. Contrary to what you might think, I do take an interest in my children's lives." She said frowning and turning to look at me again. "April was a nice girl. Apollo was quite vexed with me after your little spat. He cancelled our plans to go to a poetry reading that night."

"Sorry to ruin your date Mom." I said annoyed and she rolled her eyes before turning back to the mirror and opening a tube of mascara. "But April really wasn't as nice as most people think she was, and that's not even the point. Can you help me or not?"

She didn't answer for a few moments, continuing to evaluate her appearance.

"Mom!" I said now starting to get really annoyed and again, she turned in her chair and fixed me with a critical expression.

"The question isn't if I can help you Cassian." She said. "It's whether or not you actually want my help."

"What?" I asked incredulously. "Of course I want your help! That's why I'm here, _asking_ for your help!"

"But do you really, son?" she asked doubtfully and it took nearly everything in my power not to sound as frustrated as I felt.

"Yes!"

"And if I did help you," she continued with a shrug. "Then what would happen? If I were to return you to the ridiculously handsome boy that you are, then what? You go back to camp. Return to your friends, regain their favor and go back to the way that things were?"

"Well… yeah." I said frowning.

At this she gave me a small, sad smile.

"But is that what you _want_?" she asked emphasizing the word. "If things were to go back to normal, what would that mean?"

"I'd get my friends back."

"You mean the ones that abandoned you?"

"I'd be popular again."

"Because that made you so happy before."

I hesitated and she sighed.

"You could go back to dating any girl you don't really want, being surrounded by people you don't really like, all the while still feeling alone. Because that's what you want."

"What? No." I said starting unable to help some of the frustration that was starting to show. "You're acting like I chose for things to be that way."

"Didn't you?"

"No." I said flatly. "It just happened. And I don't need any judgement from you." I crossed my arms over my chest. "How are you any different? You thrive off the attention your beauty gives you. Otherwise why else you would be here, acting like a model in the mortal world?"

"The difference is I'm happy with where my life has led me Cass." She said patiently. "Are you?"

Her gaze was pointed and I had a feeling we both knew what my answer would be. I didn't have to say it out loud.

I felt something wash over me, powerful and unpleasant. It took me a few seconds to identify it, but when I did, I was hit with another wave. It was hopelessness. She was right. Even if she did put me back to normal, and I went back to my old life. What was I really doing it for? I wasn't happy, but what else could I do?

She seemed to read this from my expression, because she took my hand and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Oh my precious boy, don't look so upset." She said her tone far gentler. "There is a brightside."

"Yeah?" I asked sarcastically and she gave me the kind of indulgent smile a mother would give a stubborn toddler.

"Let me ask you this. In the last two days, have you felt alone?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question love."

I thought back over the last 48 hours, hanging out with Evelyn in the apartment, her attacking the guy at the door, laughing together over food. I thought back to all the times I'd interacted with her at camp, being so eager to talk to her, always trying to make the conversation last just a little bit longer. Since waking up that morning, and finding myself cursed, I thought I would be miserable. But I wasn't.

"No." I said in surprise and she smiled. Over the past two days I felt better than I had in a while. In fact, when I was with Evelyn, things always tended to feel a bit better than they had before.

"Which leads me back to my original question." She said with a knowing expression. "Do you really want my help?"

"No." I said quietly, taking myself completely by surprise and she smiled.

If my mother restored how I looked, then that was it. The mission was over. Evelyn and I would go back to camp, and I knew no matter how I felt, even if I didn't want them to, things would go back to how they always were because that was what Evelyn was expecting. If I wanted things to change between us, I needed more time. That wasn't going to happen if we went back to camp. Our friends would make sure of that, and I knew Evelyn. She wasn't going to fight that, at least not with the way things were right now.

"I had a feeling that's what you'd say." she said amused.

"But I mean, I have to fix this eventually." I said frowning. "I can't go around looking like this." I gestured to my reflection. "Forever."

"Of course not." She said her eyes going wide with astonishment. "You're such a handsome young man, it would be a crime if the world was denied seeing it. Fortunately for you, I'm not the only one who can help you out of your, ah, current situation."

"So what do I do?"

"Take this." She said holding up her palm. There was a flash of light, and something appeared in her hand. "It should help you."

"A medallion?" I asked confused, taking it out of my mother's hand and inspecting it. "How will that help?"

But before she could respond, a voice said.

"Oh thank Zeus, I finally found you." I looked over my shoulder only to feel my mouth fall open a little bit.

Evelyn was standing in front of us, looking nothing short of a goddess from the Underworld. Undeniably dark, but just as beautiful. The dress, which had seemed a little over the top on the mannequin, was perfect on her. I could only imagine how fast that idiot Keith's jaw would hit the floor, or what he'd think about a 'girl like her' now.

"Evelyn!" my mother said ecstatically, getting to her feet and walking over to her to her to pull her into a tight hug. "My dear you're an absolute vision!"

"Uh, thanks. Hi… uh, Aphrodite." She said, awkwardly patting my mother on the back then looking back at me. "Cass. We've got to go. The show's starting in like thirty seconds and I don't want to be here when that designer guy finds out I'm not going to be a part of it."

"That's my cue!" my mother said excitedly and giving her one last smile, putting her hand to Evelyn's face like she'd done with me before.

"Lovely." She said and Evelyn looked about as confused as I'd ever seen her. "Absolutely lovely."

"Models to the stage!" a woman called jogging past us. "Get ready to roll ladies! Let's go!"

"Til next time my doves." My mother said lightly, practically floating as she walked away and Evelyn watched her go, clearly trying to figure out what emotion she was supposed to be feeling.

"O-Ok." She said still sounding a little confused then turning back to me. It was at this point I'd noticed she'd reclaimed her our back packs because she tossed me mine. "You ready?"

I didn't answer for a second, still looking at her.

"Cass?"

"Right, sorry. Wow, Ev you look-" I started but then I had to stop, because there were no words.

"Yeah, I know I look ridiculous," she said with a scowl. "But can we get a move on? I want to get out of this thing."

"You don't look ridiculous." I said. "You look amazing. Stunning even and about a million other adjectives."

She hesitated, and it was for just a second too long. I heard footsteps approaching, and while she looked over her shoulder, I didn't take my eyes off her. Not until the man spoke. And then my stomach dropped through the floor.

"Ah excellent." he said. "You must be the girl Grayson was raving about." His tone was a bit exasperated but not unpleasant as was the expression he gave her when he came into view. "I'm supposed to personally ensure that arrangements are made for you to join his next show."

"Uh, what?" Evelyn asked, looking at the man.

He was tall, good looking, in his early forties with dark, neat hair that went with a stylish suit and light green eyes. My eyes.

"I take it you've never walked a run way before." My father said looking a little amused that Evelyn clearly had no idea who he was. "My name is Robert Holt, I'm an executive here at Étoile, and according to my head designer, I'm supposed to do anything I can to get you to stay with us."

Evelyn's eyes went wide and she glanced at me.

My father must have noticed because he turned to see what she was looking at, and when his eyes landed on me, he frowned.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Evelyn looked as if she wanted to say something, but I cut her off before she could.

"No one of consequence apparently." I said surprised by how calm I was able to keep my tone.

My father's brow furrowed. He'd obviously recognized my voice, but couldn't place it.

"Have we met?" he asked uncertainly.

At this I allowed myself a bitter smile.

"If we had, I guess I didn't make much of an impression, did I?"

My father was still frowning as Evelyn's eyes darted between us looking anxious. But then, a voice came over the PA system announcing the start of the show.

"I have to go." My father said pulling a card out of the breast pocket of his suit and handing it to Evelyn. "We should talk. Call this number after the show. If you have an agent you should speak with them. If you don't, arrangements will be made."

She took the card, out of reflex I assume, and he gave her one last smile before walking towards one of the side exits of the stage.

"Cass…" She started sympathetically the moment the door shut, but I took the card from her and examined it.

"Man, Grayson must really like you." I said feeling a jaded smile cross my features. "This is the one with his personal number on it." I held it up for her to see. "Do you know what some people would do to get this card?"

"Look-"

"But you're right," I said tossing it over my shoulder and starting to walk. "We should get out of here."

"Just, just hold on a second." She taking my hand and pulling me to a stop.

"What Ev?"

"Are you not even going to acknowledge how messed up that was?" she asked incredulously.

"No, I'm not." I said flatly. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't either."

"Alright." She said a little uneasily. "Let's-let's find a safe place to shadow travel from and just get out of here."

We started walking, trying not to draw attention to ourselves, but after just a few steps, it was my turn to stop her.

"Do you smell that?"

"What?"

"Is something burning?" I asked glancing around.

Her eyes went wide and she immediately she hit the ground, pulling me down with her and it was a good thing she did. The second I hit the floor, a jet of flames shot over us and I heard Evelyn swearing both a profuse and inventive manner.

"Not right now." She said getting to her feet and messing with the fabric of her skirt. "Gods this STUPID dress."

By the time I'd stood, she'd managed to extract her sword from the fabric and face the massive, scaly creature that was unfolding itself from the nearest dressing room and stared us down. Foot long talons pierced the wood of the floor, causing it to splinter, as the thing opened it many fanged mouth and let out an evil hiss.

"What the hell is that?" I asked taking a step back, feeling my eyes go wide. I heard screams from the mortals around us as they spotted the fire, only able to guess at what the mist was forcing them to see.

"It's a drakon." Evelyn spat, clearly irritated and readying her sword. "And it's about to die. You should probably start running." She added as an after thought.

I didn't want to leave her on her own, but I knew if I stayed I'd only be getting in the way, or worse, giving the monster another target that she needed to protect. So reluctantly I took off trying to find and fire exit or anything that might be able to get us out of the building.

I was surprised, however, when thirty seconds later, I found Evelyn was hot on my heels.

"I thought you said you were going to kill that thing!" I shouted ducking under microphone wires.

"It had friends and I'm in a dress the size of Kansas. Even I'm not that good. I can't move in this thing!"

"So we're running away?"

"Yes! Preferably at a very fast pace!"

She grabbed my hand I knew she was preparing to shadow travel not caring if mortals saw or not, but suddenly, she let out a shout and her hand was ripped from mine.

"Ev?" I asked in panic.

"This STUPID dress!" she shouted in frustration and I found her on the floor tugging at the material of the skirt which was obviously caught on something.

I ran back to try and help, only to freeze as once again, my vision was obscured by something large and scaly.

"Cass, give me your dagger." Evelyn said, holding out her hand, her voice far too calm for what the situation warranted in my opinion.

"Good idea." I said hearing my own voice shake as I reached into the side pocket of my bag feeling the cool metal of the hilt. She could cut the fabric loose and we could get away.

Evelyn, however, didn't seem to be on the same train of thought, because the second her fingers wrapped around the hilt, she threw the blade and hit the monster dead in the throat. The fire that had been building in its mouth sputtered and died as the creature made a disgusting gargling noise, acid green blood pooling around the weapon and starting to smoke.

"You killed it." I said looking at her in amazement.

"Nope," she said tugging on the skirt and I heard the fabric tear. "Just pissed it off. Time to go."

She grabbed my hand, pulled me to my feet, and stepped into the nearest shadow.

The next thing I knew, we were outside in an alley beside the Étoile building. I heard sirens and saw fire engines casting red lights on the walls of the alley closer to the street. People were running by on the side walk, clearly the building was being evacuated. The smoke billowing on to the street as well as the sounds of crashing from the inside told me the monsters weren't done having their fun yet.

"So." Evelyn said panting, leaning over and putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath but looking up at me. "Judging by your appearance, I take it your Mom couldn't help you?"

"No." I said wondering if this was a lie, and willing my heart rate to drop to a more reasonable level. "But she said there is someone who can."

"Great! Who?" she asked straightening up, but leaning against the alley wall.

"I dunno, I didn't get a name, but she said this would help." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the medallion.

She took it and frowned, turning the bronze over in her hands.

"Do you recognize it?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, but I know someone who might."

"Who? Hank?" I asked, but suddenly, several things happened in very quick succession.

There was an ear splitting 'crack' as the pavement below me fractured. Flames, jet black, raced out of the fissure surrounding me in dark fire.

"Cass!" Evelyn shouted her eyes going wide.

She reached out and the last thing I remembered seeing was her running towards me, her arm outstretched before everything went dark.

….

I wasn't sure how long I was out, or what had happened, but when I regained consciousness, I found myself sitting in a large, cold room made out of polished obsidian walls.

It was lit with torches of green fire and still groggy, it took several seconds for me to realize I was in fact, not in the Hades cabin at camp. There was no room in the Hades cabin could possibly be this big. But I caught up to speed real fast when I spotted the man sitting on an elaborately carved throne in front of me. It was made of dark onyx and decorated with skulls.

He was tall, and would have been good looking if he wasn't so pale. His hair that was slicked back was dark as ink, as were as his eyes. They were trained on me, and were impossible to read.

"Finally," he said gruffly. "You're awake. I thought I was going to have to get Cerberus to start chewing on one of your legs if you didn't come around soon."

"Holy Hades." I said feeling my eyes go wide and his eyes flashed.

"Are you trying to be funny boy?"

"No, uh, Mr. Hades sir." I stammered and his eyes narrowed.

I was used to Evelyn's death aura, even when she was angry I didn't think much of it but she was right. Her dark vibes were nothing compared to her father's.

"It, it's just an expression." I continued my voice trailing off lamely and he raised an eyebrow.

He stood and I noticed that his toga, which was of course black, seemed to be made out of a strange material. It was almost like it was woven out of shadows.

He walked right up to me, and I felt my heart rate skyrocket as he bent making our faces level, his lightless eyes boring into mine.

"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. "And why are you traveling with my daughter?"


	16. Chapter 16

Hello all! Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday! I apologize, I'm uploading this a few days after I expected to but in my defense, this is quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever uploaded, it's pretty much double what most uploads are, so it took a lot longer than I expected. That being said, I hope you like it! Thank you for everyone who's been reading, especially those who've favorited/followed/reviewed/messaged. It really does mean a lot to me, and it helps motivate me to keep writing!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

People have always said that Hades is terrifying. Part had me had always thought, or hoped maybe, that the stories about him were exaggerated. I mean, they'd said the same things about Evelyn and she wasn't scary. Not really anyways. But having been in his presence for about five minutes, I can assure you that the stories are accurate.

Evelyn was right. Compared to her father, her disposition was downright sunny.

"You can see why I might have trouble believing your story." He said sitting back in his throne and fixing me with a critical gaze, as if he were deciding what he wanted to do with me. "Forgive me, but you don't much _look_ like a son of Aphrodite."

"I've already explained-"

"Right, the curse." He said dismissively, waving his hand with an air of impatience as he cut me off. "And my daughter cares about this why?"

But before I could answer, there was a dark flash and a figure materialized in the corner of the room.

"Sup Dad." Evelyn said sarcastically. She was back in her usual clothes, and while both her expression and tone were controlled, her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were furious. "Why'd you take Cass?"

Not a second later the door burst open a skeletal attendant fell through it, stammering apologize left and right.

"My lord, I am so sorry." He babbled sounding terrified. He was dressed like a bellhop in a deep green velvet suit and spoke with an Australian accent. "I told her you were not to be disturbed but she just lost it. Attacked the sentries and took off. I tried to stop her but-"

"It's alright Leopold." Hades said calmly. "My daughter is free to come and go as she pleases, she's aware of this." He turned to look at Evelyn. "How are you Emmy?"

"Do NOT call me that." She said pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Especially when I'm mad at you."

"It's your name."

"It is not my name." she snapped. "It's what _you_ wanted to name me. I live in the mortal world. I have a mortal birth certificate, and the name Evelyn is on it."

"Very well, Evelyn." He said sounding a touch irritated now. "How are you?"

"You know Dad, I'm a little annoyed." She said stiffly.

"Is there a reason you attacked the guards?"

"Is there a reason you abducted my friend?" She countered her expression menacing.

"I was curious." He said folding his hands together under his chin and narrowing his eyes at her. "Care to explain to me why you're traveling with this young man, _alone_?"

There was a full thirty seconds where she stared at him.

"Are you _serious_?" she asked in furious disbelief.

"It's a natural question to ask."

"I go on missions all the time!"

"Yes, and you're either by yourself or with a team."

"So?"

"So this is a departure from that pattern." He said coolly. "You can't see why I might be concerned?"

"No Dad, I can't." she said angrily.

He raised an eyebrow and she let out a frustrated noise.

"I'm not a child!" she said incensed. "And you didn't have to scare the crap out of Cass." She finished with a gesture towards me.

"Hey." I started resentfully, but was completely ignored.

"You could have talked to me." Evelyn said, glowering at her father.

His expression was calm, but like his daughter, his dark eyes exposed the storm behind it. Their gazes were locked, and several moments passed where I was sure a silent conversation, or maybe war was a more appropriate term, was held. The shadows in the room seemed to grow darker as the temperature plummeted. I felt my heart rate go up and unable to control myself, I let out a shiver. It was clear both Hades and his daughter were furious, I didn't need the anxious sounds from Leopold, or the way the was looking back and forth between them to tell me they were upset. I could feel it, and every instinct in my body was telling me to run.

Eventually, it was Hades who broke the silence.

"You should apologize to my sentries," he said his tone even and Evelyn rolled her eyes. "It isn't polite to take your anger out on them."

"Polite?" she scoffed.

"You said you're not a child." His tone was petulant now. "Yet you insist on acting like one."

Her expression didn't change, but I could practically see her brain working behind her eyes. She was thinking fast, doing some sort of cost benefit analysis. I could tell when she'd reached her decision, but I wasn't sure what it was. Then, without warning, she swung her blade separating the Leopold's head from his bony body. It hit the stone of the floor and bounced a few times before it started to roll.

"Em-"

"Do NOT call me that!" she snapped storming out of the room.

Hades let out an exasperated sigh, but didn't follow her as the door slammed shut.

"You have my apologies Leopold." He said closing his eyes and rubbing his temples as if he was trying to keep his temper in check.

"It's alright sire." The skeleton's skull said with a dejected sigh from across the room. "I'm used to it by now."

They seemed to be ignoring me, and I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to do. I took a step towards the door and no one stopped me, so I jogged the remaining few feet then ran to catch up to Evelyn in the hall.

"What was that about?" I asked falling into step next to her.

I could practically feel the fury radiating from her and I finally understood why most guys found it extremely uncomfortable to be around an angry girl. Granted, most girls didn't carry an extremely sharp sword or go around chopping heads of skeletons to antagonize a god. But, then again, Evelyn wasn't exactly what I'd call a normal girl.

She didn't answer.

"Ev, I've never seen you freak out like that. Are you ok?"

"He had no right to do that to you." she seethed.

"I'm fine."

"That's not the point!" she said with a frustrated gesture.

"Then what is?"

"It was totally uncool!" she said in indignation. "And you know you should be a little more upset."

"Why? As far as divine kidnappings go that was pretty tame."

"You're taking _his_ side?" she asked incredulously.

"No."

"Because it sounds like you are."

"I'm just saying it could have been worse. He could have hurt me if he wanted to."

"I can't believe you're defending him." She said her expression one of disbelief.

"You're mad at me?" I asked in surprise.

"If your taking sides with my dad yes."

"Just slow down a second." I said grabbing her shoulder and pulling us to a stop.

"Don't touch-"

"Why are you so upset?" I asked cutting her off, but allowing her to push herself out of my grip.

"He's being a bully." She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "I see enough of that from your friends at camp. He doesn't need to be one too."

"Yeah, nice try." I said and she glared at me. "What's really bothering you?"

"I just told you."

"I'm not stupid Ev."

Her arms locked tighter and she looked away from me. Her jaw was set, but she didn't look angry. I was surprised to see she was upset.

"Look, you just disappeared alright?" she said glancing up at me uncertainly. "I didn't know where you were and I didn't like that."

Her eyes met mine, and I felt a shock go through me when I saw how vulnerable they were. She'd been really scared. Terrified even. All because she didn't know where I was?

"So, when I figured it out, I was pretty pissed." she continued looking away from me, apparently embarrassed.

"Why? Your dad wouldn't hurt one of your friends."

"You don't know my dad like I do." She said with a hallow laugh. "He's not exactly the forgiving type. He's got a huge chip on his shoulder about the way the Underworld gods and demigods are treated and you're not one of us."

"Sounds like someone I know." I muttered but she ignored this.

"If something happened to you because of me…"

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Nothing did happen."

"I know," she said reluctantly. "But what if it did?"

"It didn't." I said firmly. "And even if it did, I'm sure there's nothing in the world or under it that would have kept you from kicking the ass of whoever was responsible."

She let out a terse laugh, but managed a smile.

"Assuming you weren't banished to the darkest corners Tartarus."

I grinned.

"Yeah. I like that assumption."

"You know you really should make more of an effort to be nicer to people." She said and I could see she was starting to relax a little. "You're actually kind of good at it."

"I'm not nice Ev, I'm charming. There's a difference."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"It's not charming to make someone feel better after you've just seen them behead a skeleton." She pointed out. "It's actually a little crazy, but it's also nice."

"Well, maybe I can be nice to the people that I like."

At this she laughed.

"You must hate everyone at camp then."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you're kind of an ass to most of them."

"I resent that." I said pretending to be offended.

"Oh really?" she asked amused.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You're at camp." I pointed out. "I don't hate you. Besides, I don't _hate_ most people. I just…tolerate them."

"Tolerate?" she asked raising an eyebrow and I shrugged.

"Yeah." It was a good word for it.

"How gracious of you."

"I like to think so."

"Has anyone told you you're conceited?"

"Many times."

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she turned and continued to walk down the corridor. I didn't really know where we were going, but I let her lead the way as I glanced around, taking in my surroundings.

The palace was, in a word, extravagant. I'd thought it was a joke when Evelyn said she and her father had expensive taste. Now I could see what she meant.

My shoes sank into the deep carpet that ran along the hall. It was a royal purple and tailored with gold embroidery. Precious gems and metals glittered, set into ornate decorations on the dark walls. We passed statues, priceless artifacts and I saw several works of art that had supposedly been lost over history.

"Jeez Ev." I said looking around. "You father has some nice stuff."

"Want anything?" she asked, apparently unfazed.

"Yeah, I don't need your dad sending his monsters after me because he thinks I stole some of his priceless artifacts."

At this she let a humorless laugh.

"He won't even notice it's gone."

She raised a palm and several gems detached themselves from a nearby statue that was covered in what looked like priceless jewelry and landed in her hand.

She looked at them for a moment, her expression apathetic, then dropped them carelessly and continued walking.

"That a pretty neat trick."

She shrugged.

"Hey Ev?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Without getting my head chopped off like Leopold?"

She sighed.

"You want to know why my father calls me Emmy."

"Should I start running?"

She shifted and for half a second, I was convinced she was going for her sword, but she reached under the collar of her shirt and I was surprised when she revealed a necklace. It wasn't her camp necklace, though she wore that too. It had a fine chain, on which rested a pendant made of exquisitely crafted gold studded with diamonds, all surrounding a heavy, deep green gem.

I felt my mouth fall open slightly.

"Is that real?" I asked and she nodded.

"My mother's favorite gemstone is emerald." She said flatly. "Every gift he ever gave her had one in it. You should see her jewelry box." She shook her head looking a little exasperated. "Anyways. When she found out she was going to have me, she said it was the best gift he could have given her. And I had the misfortune of being born in May."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Emerald is the birthstone for May."

"Ah." I said with clarity. "I'm guessing he was inspired?"

"Yeah." She said tonelessly. "But my mother, possessing more than the ounce of common sense needed to realize that was a terrible idea told him I was going to be different enough. I didn't need a name that emphasized the point. That, and she didn't want to name me after a gemstone. It was too related to the Underworld in her opinion. She wanted me to be my own person, outside of my father's world so it didn't define me. I think she knew I'd get enough of that from the rest of the world, she didn't want my name to do it as well. Obviously," her tone turned a little annoyed. "He doesn't respect that."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"Anyways, the day I was born, he gave us both a necklace. Hers matches mine."

She turned the pendant over in her hand and I saw there was an inscription on the back.

"What's it say?" I asked wondering if I was pushing my luck.

The expression she gave me was clearly thinking along the same lines, but eventually she held the pendant out. I stepped closer and turned it over in my hands to see in small elegant writing on the back were the words,

'To my daughter, the most precious of gifts.'

"Hers says the same thing." She muttered. "Just has her name instead."

"It's beautiful." I said quietly.

"It's a gem." She said clearly uncomfortable. "He has plenty of gems."

"I think you're being too hard on him."

"You remember he abducted you, right?"

"Because he cares about you. I mean, he might not have gone about it in the best of ways but at least he has some concern."

"It's suffocating."

"At least it's there." I said quietly, releasing the pendant and she looked guilty.

"Now I feel like a brat." She muttered looking down. "Sorry."

"Don't be." I said with a shrug and she looked up at me cautiously. I didn't like it when she was upset and I found myself smiling trying to put her at ease. "Parents are irritating."

My efforts were rewarded with a smile of her own.

"But," I said reaching for the pendant again and holding it up between us. "You can't be too upset. If you ever need to go into hiding, he's provided you with the financial means to buy a small island to disappear to."

I hadn't realized how close we were until her eyes met mine, but suddenly it felt like she was much too far away. I felt my heart skip a beat and I found my thoughts were racing, but strangely, none of them seemed to connect. I knew I should have said or done something, I was just standing here looking at her like an idiot, but I found I couldn't look away.

"Ev, I-" I started but suddenly, the hall started to tremble.

"Oh no." she muttered looking over her shoulder down the hall.

"What's wrong?" I said following her gaze but she looked back at me.

"Whatever you do, do not go running away screaming in terror." She said quickly. "He'll think you're playing."

"What-" but I cut myself off, feeling my stomach fall through the floor as I saw quite clearly, exactly what Evelyn was talking about.

A massive, building sized Rottweiler was bounding down the hall, it's colossal paws shaking the palace as they hit the floor, it's tongues lolling out of its heads as it ran. Yes, _heads._ There were three of them.

I felt my eyes go wide as adrenaline shot through my system.

"Don't run." Evelyn warned, snatching my arm.

"I feel like running."

"If you run he'll chase you."

That cemented my feet to the ground.

Cerberus skidded to a halt in front of us, his tail wagging excitedly. It was quickly apparent that the dog had little interest in me as all three heads sniffed Evelyn with excitement, and his tail began to wag even faster.

"Hey Cer Bear." Evelyn said happily, in a tone appropriate to picking up a yorkie as each head took it's turn getting its ears scratched.

"Must you compare the guardian of the gates to the Underworld to a child's toy?" said a tired voice and I looked up to see that Hades had followed our path down the hall.

"It's appropriate seeing as he's a giant teddy bear." Evelyn said smiling at the dog and starting to scratch under its gargantuan collar. "Aren't you little Cer Bear?" she asked in a baby voice.

"Little?" I muttered, asking no one in particular.

Cerberus barked playfully, and I was amazed the windows didn't shatter from the force of the noise.

"Is Dad giving you enough exercise?" she asked. "Is he playing with you enough boy?"

The dog flopped to his side happily allowed Evelyn to scratch his belly.

"He gets plenty of exercise." Hades said and Evelyn gave him a suspicious look.

"You never play with him." She turned back to Cerberus. "Where's your bone boy? You want to play fetch?"

Immediately the dog got to his feet and took off down the hall no doubt to find his bone.

"What kind of bone is large enough for a dog that size?" I asked uncertain if I wanted an answer.

"A dinosaur." Evelyn said simply.

"Are you serious?" I asked looking at her.

Her response was to point down the hallway where Cerberus was already galloping back to us, with what looked like a t rex bone in the mouth of his center head.

"How on earth are you going to throw that?" I asked looking at Evelyn who gave me a grin.

"Who says I have to throw it?"

Again Cerberus skidded to a halt in front of us, his eyes bright with excitement and his tail moving faster than ever.

"Sit." Evelyn said with a hand gesture and the paintings rattled on the wall as Cerberus sat. "Good, now drop it." she said with another command.

As soon as Cerberus dropped the bone, a shadow appeared on the ground in front of us and swallowed it.

I heard a thud several yards behind us and turned to see the bone at the far end of the hall.

"Move." Evelyn said pushing me out of the way as the dog went bounding after his bone.

I hit the wall a little harder than I would have liked but shook it off, a little amused as I watched Cerberus scramble down the hall.

"I thought Cerberus was supposed to be a demon dog, like creature of your worst nightmares kind of thing." I said as he trotted happily back to us, setting his bone in front of Evelyn with evident pride.

"He's a sweetie." She said with a fond smile.

"I'd be more than happy to give his attack command if you care to see the more traditional view of his nature." Hades said mildly and Evelyn threw her father a warning look.

"Don't worry Cass. Cerberus won't attack anyone a member of the family says is ok."

I noticed at this, a flash of irritation crossed Hades' features but Evelyn didn't see. She'd gone back to petting her dog.

"You know I had you pegged as more of a cat person." I said looking at her and she shrugged.

"Usually I am, but how can you not love his faces?" she asked in that same baby voice and Cerberus barked happily in response.

"Alright, enough distracting my gate keeper." Hades said impatiently. "Cerberus!"

He whistled and the dog stood to attention.

"Back you go." He said gesturing towards the entrance of the hall.

Cerberus let out a disappointed whine and lowered his heads. He allowed himself one last scratch from Evelyn before he slunk off, clearly unhappy to be sent away.

"You're going to ruin my guard dog." Hades muttered looking at Evelyn with disapproval.

"He just wants some love." She said crossing her arms over her chest, watching as his tail whipped around the corner.

"You spoil him. He's supposed to be terrifying, a warning to all who enter my realm. Now even your friend isn't afraid of him."

"Yeah? Well I've found Cass isn't afraid of a lot of things he should be." She said looking at her father. "He's weird that way."

His eyes slid to me, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Eventually, he turned back to Evelyn.

"Well, I must be off." Hades said. "The Underworld is a big place, it won't run itself."

"Right." She said with a nod.

"As always you and your…" he hesitated and looked at me before saying. "Friend, are welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thanks Dad, but we should probably move on. We've got stuff to do."

"Of course." He said politely, but for the second time, I could sense an unspoken conversation passing between them, even if I didn't know what was being said. "Say hello to your mother for me."

"Yeah." She said quietly and after one final glance in my direction, a scroll formed in his hands which he started to read as he walked away.

She watched him go, and her expression was hard to read, but if I had to guess, I would have said she looked a little conflicted. A couple moments passed in which I decided to let her gather her thoughts, but eventually, she blinked and looked at me.

"You ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"To leave."

"Oh, I guess." I said in surprise, suddenly remembering the events prior to my capture. "You said you knew someone who might be able to identify the medallion right? Do you still have it?"

"Yeah." She produced it from her back pocket.

"Where are we taking it?"

"To my mom," she said. "She's kind of the ultimate nerd when it comes to this sort of stuff. She probably knows what it means and if she doesn't, someone she works with probably will."

"Great." I said surprised at how simple a solution this seemed.

"I guess I should apologize." She said scratching the back of her head awkwardly and avoiding eye contact.

"You should? Why?"

"My dad kind of kidnapped you."

"My dad wanted you to sign you as a model." I pointed out with a grin. "I'm not sure which is worse."

"True." She said with a soft laugh. "Sorry I lost your dagger against the drakons. After you burst into flames, I forgot to go back for it."

"Technically, it was your dagger and I wasn't really using it much anyways."

"Still you shouldn't be unarmed." She said. "We can get stop by my room and get you something else."

"Yeah, no offense Ev. But I think if I get within 100 yards of your room your dad might actually murder me."

"We'll be gone before he finds out." She said waving away the statement.

"What if one of the guards see?"

"I'm more than capable of dealing with my father's cronies." She said rolling her eyes and putting her hands in her pockets as she started to walk.

"Yeah I've noticed. Poor Leopold."

"He'll be fine." She said with a shrug. "Someone will stick his head back on later. It's not like I hurt him."

"I take it this isn't the first time that's happened?"

"He has an uncanny knack for being around when I'm upset with my father."

"You should probably apologize to them."

"You do realize they were actively trying to keep me from finding you, right?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I'd sort of forgotten about that." I admitted and she shook her head looking a little amused.

"You know, you're kind of weird Cass."

"How am I weird?" I asked frowning.

"My dad abducts you, brings you to the Underworld to interrogate you and you don't bat an eye. You even defend him. Yet, when that guy walked passed you in neon green sneakers yesterday. You went on a rant for like fifteen minutes."

"Ok first of all," I said frowning. "Those shoes were an eyesore and he deserves my ire. He actively spent money just so he could subject me to looking at them."

"And second?" she asked trying not to laugh.

"Second, your dad is just looking out for you."

"I can handle myself Cass."

"Yeah, but he's still your father. Protecting you is his job."

"I'm probably the last person on the planet who needs protecting."

"I think we might be talking about two different things here Ev." I said quietly I said and her brow furrowed. "You've got a good heart. I can't be mad at someone who's trying to keep it that way."

We continued to walk through the palace, Evelyn giving me a quasi-tour, telling me about some of the chambers along the way, though I could tell she wasn't that interested in it. The palace was incredible. Precious metals and jewels were woven into the architecture. Each time I thought the decor couldn't out do itself, I'd pass a room that was more lavish than the one before.

Eventually, after walking through countless staircases and corridors, we stopped outside a black door. She rolled her eyes when they landed on the door knob, which was set with an emerald the size of my fist.

"My dad thinks he's funny." She said and while she was doing good job of sounding irritated, I saw the slight smile at the corner of her lips. "It's his silent way of protesting me taking down the plate with his preferred name for me he puts on the door every time I leave. He knows I won't take off the door knob, cuz then anyone could just walk in."

"Don't like people in your room?"

"It's the one place in the palace that's completely my space."

"Want me to wait out here then?"

"What, why?" she asked looking confused.

"You just said it's your space."

"Yeah, but I didn't mean-" she cut herself off and shook her head. "I don't care if you come in." she finished and pushed open the door.

I expected the room to look like the one she occupied in the Hades cabin, but was completely shocked when I stepped inside. While the rest of the palace was opulent, it glittered in a dark sort of way. I'd figured no number of torches could make up for the fact that it was underground. Evelyn had decided to go a different route.

The room was lit by clusters of crystals that glowed a soft white and were placed in strategic locations around the room. The ceiling was painted like the sky on a summer's afternoon, and it was so realistic, I thought for a moment we were no longer underground. Apart from the crystals, there were no jewels or metals in the design. Built into one of the walls was a massive shelf stuffed with books and CDs that attracted my interest. There was a desk tucked away in the corner that mainly served as a place to hold a few more books and CD cases as well as pictures of her friends. Her bed was on the far side, and was the only real influence of the palace I saw. It was huge and had an elaborately twisted frame of blackened metal with gold and diamond flowers set into it. The bedding was deep green and looked about as expensive as money could buy.

Next to the book shelf was a stereo system and a small alcove with plush chairs clearly designed as a reading nook.

"This is so cool." I muttered touching one of the crystals and feeling a jolt of surprise go through me when I realized it had changed colors. It was now a bright kobold blue. I tapped it a few more times and it seemed to cycle through a color pattern, purple, pink, yellow, green, orange, red.

"Having fun?" Evelyn asked with a laugh and I looked up to see she'd been watching me.

"Yeah actually."

"Wanna see something cool?"

"Sure."

She put a hand to a crystal to her left and after a second, the crystals started to shift between different colors at different intervals, throwing the room into a rainbow of colors, like someone shining a light through stained glass.

"Neat right?" she asked looking around.

"This might be the coolest room I've ever been in." I said looking around in admiration.

"Not any of the rooms downstairs?" she asked in obvious surprise.

"Nope."

"Seriously?"

"This one is better." I said looking at her and she smiled.

She tapped the crystal again and they returned to white as I walked over to the shelves.

I saw what I expected to in the music, bands ranging from metal to modern rock, but I found there some albums I didn't expect.

"You like pop music?" I asked pulling out a bright pink CD case and raising an eyebrow, holding it up for her to see.

"Something wrong with that?" she asked.

"Just didn't expect it." I said starting to scan the book titles as she reached under her bed.

I heard the 'thunk' of what sounded like wood, and turned to see Evelyn pulling a massive cabin trunk from under the comforter.

"Hades Ev," I said as she clicked it open and I saw it was full of weapons. "How many methods of monster disposal do you need?"

"Fortune favors the prepared." She quoted, sifting through axes, daggers, and swords.

"I think this might qualified as over prepared."

"What do you think?" she asked holding up a Labrys.

"I dunno." I said uncertainly. It looked heavy and wicked as a weapon. I had a feeling I'd only end up hurting myself with it.

"Alright." She said tossing it over her shoulder. It hit the floor with a loud clang, but she ignored it as she continued to look through the weapons. Every few seconds or so she'd hand me one and told me to take a swing, but none of them really seemed to fit.

"I have an idea." she asked after several minutes. She'd hit the bottom of the trunk and weapons were scattered around us, like some sort of painful version of the floor is lava.

She stood up and crossed to a door which I took to be a closet, then came out with a blade wrapped in a deep purple cloth. The hilt was made of what looked like gold and set with emeralds. She rested it on her bed as she unwrapped it, and I saw that it was one of the few weapons she owned that had a blade of celestial bronze.

It was a hoplite sword, Spartan in origin judging by it's shape. She tossed it to me and I was surprised when I managed to catch it without losing my fingers.

"Well?" she asked as I gave it a practice swing. "How does it feel?"

"Surprisingly good." I said in approval. I'd never met a weapon that I actually liked before, but the more I held the sword, the more comfortable I was with it in my hand.

"Why wasn't this in the tool box?" I asked pointing at the trunk with the blade and she hesitated.

"Well, that one's sort of special." she muttered.

This gave me pause.

"Special how?" I asked with a frown.

"That's not important."

"Ev…" I said in a warning tone.

"Dad gave me that one." She said and a shock went through me. "It was sort of my first real weapon before I was strong enough for Shadow Splitter."

She patted the hilt of the blade on her hip.

"I can't take this." I said trying to hand it back to her, but she raised her palms in an appeasing motion.

"Relax Cass."

"But it's from your father." I protested.

"If you have a weapon that works for you, that's much more important than keeping it from getting banged up. It's killed monsters before, it can do it again."

"Maybe when you were using it." I said tersely, feeling uncertain. "Are you sure?"

She gave me a reassuring smile.

"Yeah. Who knows? It is a weapon after all, it might be excited to come out of retirement."

I glanced at the sword. The gold and the gems caught the light of the crystals, but the blade itself was emitting the glow that only celestial bronze could achieve. For the first time, I really thought a weapon was beautiful.

I didn't know what to say, so I latched on the first thing that popped into my head.

"I didn't know you named your sword." I said and she shrugged, taking it from her side and looking at it .

"It's a good blade, it deserved one."

"Does this one have a name?" I asked curiously, glancing at the blade in my own hand.

"Smarágdi." She said sounding a little exasperated and I grinned.

"I'm noticing a theme here."

"My father doesn't really let things go."

"I'm starting to see that."

"Yeah." She said softly and a pause fell over the conversation.

"You know, I'm sure it would mean a lot to him if you stuck around for a bit." I said quietly and she frowned.

"We've got to go, the medallion-"

"Will be there tomorrow." I pointed out.

"But what about you?"

I shrugged.

"One night won't kill me."

She looked at me confused.

"I thought I was doing you a favor by trying to get out of here."

"Me?"

"Yeah." She said as if the reason should be obvious. When it was clear to her that it wasn't, she continued. "I doubt you really want to stay here."

"In the palace? Why? It's gorgeous."

"The Underworld Cass!" she said in exasperation.

"Oh. Well what does that matter?"

"It doesn't bother you being down here?"

"No. Why would it?"

"Because it's the Underworld!" She said looking at me as if I were crazy. "It's dark, it's creepy, full of monsters and rivers of fire and dead people. You don't find that upsetting?"

I shrugged and she stared at me.

"What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean what is wrong with me?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't bother you does it?"

"No."

"So why should it bother me?"

"Be-because you're not from here!" she said and I had no idea why she looked so frustrated. "You're mother… you're one of the Olympian demigods. My dad-"

"Just because your dad is from the Underworld doesn't mean you're any different."

"I know that." She snapped.

"Are you sure Ev?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes! I'm probably the last person you need to say that to!"

"Then why are you yelling at me?"

My ability to read emotions was limited, but I could feel the turmoil that was brewing within her. I was pretty sure even a mortal would have noticed it, even if they were standing in the hall.

"I-I don't know." She said sitting on her bed and running her fingers through her hair.

I hesitated for a second, then crossed the room and sat next to her.

"Evelyn, it doesn't bother me who your father is or what you can do."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I do."

"You haven't seen what I can do."

"Then show me."

"No." she said shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"Just no Cass." She said standing and starting to pace.

"Ev, you can't just not give me a reason."

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"You know you're not making any sense right?"

She shook her head again and continued to pace looking anxious.

"Ev-"

"Just let it go Cass."

"But-"

"I don't want to scare you!" she shouted cutting me off in her frustration. "Alright? Gods!"

She dropped back on the bed and put her head in her hands, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Is that what you're stressing out about?" I asked and while she didn't respond, she didn't really have to.

"Ev, you're not going to scare me." I assured her.

"Yes I will."

"How could you possible know that?"

"Because I scare me!" she said with a hopeless gesture.

I felt a shock go through me and I wasn't sure what to say. There was a moment where neither of us spoke, but eventually, she broke it.

"You said you weren't afraid of me, right?"

"Yeah." I said quietly.

"Are you ever afraid of what I could be?"

Her voice was calm, but there was something behind it. An emotion I couldn't quite place.

"What do you mean what you could be?" I asked carefully.

"I mean exactly what I said." She muttered leaning forward, looking at her hands, but she glanced at me. "I have these nightmares, well, some of them are pretty normal. Monsters and stuff and those I can handle. Most of us get those, but sometimes…" her voice trailed off for a second and she looked back at her hands. "Sometimes, when I have nightmares, the thing that scares me, is me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I see myself, what I can do, what happens when I'm angry or afraid, when my powers start to taking on a life of their own. I see how people see me when I start to lose control. They're terrified and I don't blame them. It terrifies me."

"Why?" I asked in surprise. "Yeah, you're powerful Ev, but that doesn't mean it's something to be afraid of. What does it matter what kind of powers you have? Shouldn't it matter more how you use them? All you ever do is help people. And your abilities help you do that."

"Not always." She muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"You've seen what happens when I get upset…"

It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about.

"That was different." I said stubbornly. "Vivian attacked your friend, and besides. You stopped."

"I didn't stop." She said shaking her head. "You stopped me. And what if you hadn't? What do you think would have happened to her?"

"I don't know." I said honestly, but I did remember how scared Vivian had been. The way she'd collapsed after Evelyn had let her go, with tears in her eyes. It took a lot to freak out one of the Ares kids.

"I keep having this dream." She continued. "I'm in the middle of camp, and it's destroyed. And I'm the one who did it. And I'm too angry to care."

I didn't answer this. I was too busy thinking, discomforted by what she'd said. Her dream sounded startlingly similar to the one I'd had the night before we left camp. Before this whole mess had gotten started.

"Cass, what if people at camp are right about me?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "What happens if one day I lose control?"

"That's not going to happen Ev." I said shaking my head. "You're not that person. You wouldn't do that."

"But what if-"

"If?" I asked cutting her off. "If? What if Zeus decides to strike the camp with a thunderbolt so he doesn't have to deal with demigods anymore? What if the Hydra crashed through that wall right now and killed me? What if Apollo fell out of the sky tomorrow and the world went dark forever? You could spend your whole life asking what if Ev, that doesn't mean anything is going to happen. Stop making yourself into a monster that you're not."

"But-"

"No, just… just stop." I said getting to my feet in frustration and she looked surprised. "Why are you so convinced about something that's never going to happen?"

"Why are you so convinced it's not?" she asked quietly.

"Because I know you." I said firmly. "I've known you for years. You're probably the one person who's not related to me that I actually like. You're my friend and I-"

But I cut myself off. No, that was too far.

"You what?" she asked but I shook my head.

"I'm not afraid of you." I said looking at her.

"You're crazy." She muttered. "You should be."

"Then do your worst Ev." I said. I wasn't even sure why I was so angry, all I knew was that I was furious. Furious at my friends for making her feel this way, furious at Evelyn for buying into it, and furious at myself for letting it happen. For even taking advantage of it. "If you're convinced you're this nightmare of a person, why don't you try to scare me off? Since you're so sure it's going to happen anyways. Why wait?"

At this anger flashed across her features. She stood too.

"And what happens when you run away screaming? Then what? We just go back to camp? You go back to your friends and I'll go back to mine, and we end up hating each other like the rest of them do?"

"It's not going to happen." I said my feeling my jaw set. If it did, I was wrong about everything. Wrong about her, wrong about how I felt, and I knew I wasn't.

"It always happens." She said sounding just as obstinate.

"Then put up or shut up Ev."

"You're the one who needs to shut up Cass." She said her hands clenched into fists. "Before you get yourself into a situation you're going to regret."

"So that's it then?"

"Yes."

"You're not even going to try?"

"I'm not going alienate my one Olympian friend!"

"Can't be much a relationship if you're this afraid of it ending." I said quietly.

She turned and started to walk across the room, clearly trying to get away from me, but I knew what I had to do.

"You know what," I said ruthlessly, feeling like an ass but knowing I had to continue. "Maybe you're right and your mom was wrong."

She froze.

"Should I start calling you Emmy then like your dad?" I asked coldly. "Since you seem to think you really can't be anything other than someone from the Underworld."

This was the final straw as I knew it would be. A stab of guilt went through me, but I had to get her angry enough to override what she thought was common sense.

"You really want to do this?" she asked darkly.

"Try me."

"Fine." She turned and her eyes were hard. "But when the inevitable happens don't blame me."

She then crossed the room and threw open the door, stepping out into the hall clearly meaning for me to follow her.

I hesitated, wondering what I was getting myself into, before I followed.

I walked through the door, expecting to see Evelyn, irritated, but waiting for me just outside. She wasn't.

"Ev?" I asked in confusion looking around.

She didn't respond.

"What the…?" I started glancing over my shoulder when suddenly, the torch on the wall above me went out.

A couple yards down the hall, so did another. Then the one next to it.

"Ev…?" I asked feeling my heart rate increase.

The corridor, already dim, had been thrown into almost complete darkness.

Nervous, I turned to step back into her room when the door slammed shut. I reached for it only to feel something grab me from behind.

Shock shot through my system and adrenaline poured into my veins. Then everything went dark.

Epov

"Where are we?" Cass asked pushing himself off the grass and looking around.

He'd hit the ground hard, and I knew the shadow traveling had disoriented him. He hadn't expected it.

"Does it matter where we are?" I asked as he continued to search his surroundings. "There's no one to hear us."

I didn't know what Cass was playing at or what he thought was going to happen, but he was in for the shock of his life.

It was dark in the graveyard, the moon hardly a sliver only occasionally peeking out from between the clouds. Mist drifted between the headstones and he turned in the direction of my voice.

"You going to let me see you?"

I hesitated but then stepped out of the darkness. I looked at him, uncertain if I wanted to do this. The truth was, I didn't want to do this. Every instinct I had was screaming at me, telling me this was insane, but I couldn't help it. I was angry and there was just something about Cass that got people to do things they didn't want to do.

"The nearest town is fifteen miles that way." I said pointing to the west, trying to push away these thoughts. "There's a farm three miles down the road in that direction."

I gestured behind him.

"And you're telling me this because?" he asked.

"Because when you run off, I don't want you getting lost."

"Ev, I'm not going to-" but he let out a cry of shock as a skeletal hand shot through the soil and grabbed his ankle.

With surprising coordination from an Aphrodite camper, he swung the sword I'd given him and managed to sever it at the wrist. But the hand was the least of his problems.

I sat on a headstone as around us, bones shot through the soil, loosening the earth as they tore themselves free of it.

He took a few hurried steps back as slowly, they made their way towards him.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you." I said quietly.

He looked over his shoulder as the ground started to tremble. It splintered, then cracked, a wide fissure opening behind him.

Pale, ghostly figures shot out of the fracture, effectively cutting his retreat from the skeletons.

He looked to his left only to see a swirling of shadows. They twisted and rippled, emitted a sinister growl as hell hounds materialized. They snarled and snapped their teeth at him, slowly encroaching on his space.

He backed away from them and turned in the last direction left to him.

"I don't think so Cass." I said darkly, snaring him in the shadows.

He attempted to struggle, trying to break their hold but they didn't fail. They never did.

More limbs shot through the soil, grabbing him, using his legs to pull themselves into the mortal world. Spirits continued to erupt from the fissure, surrounding him, circling like some nightmarish version of vultures honing in on their prey. They wailed and shrieked, as, from the weight of the skeletons clawing at him, Cass was forced to his knees.

The sensing he was cornered, the hell hounds let out a triumphant howl and started to charge, their red eyes burning with bloodlust and hunger.

I released the hold of the shadows, and waited for the screams. I expected him to turn and bolt the second he realized he was free, but he didn't.

The first hound had reached him. He readied his weapon, evidently ready to fight, but when the monster lunged it vanished. It dissipated into the shadows quickly followed by its fellows.

"What the…?" I started confused. I hadn't done that.

I tried to summon them again, but they didn't come. I glanced at Cass, wondering what was going on and saw skeletons that had been holding him, were collapsing into piles of bones. I turned to see that all over the cemetery they continued fall without command and I looked around in shock.

Only the ghosts were left. They continued to howl and scream, but while they surrounded him, creating a spectral vortex that snatched at his clothes, they seemed afraid to approach.

He seemed to realize this, because after a moment of indecision, he took a hesitant step towards me.

I expected more wailing, I expected them to attack but they scattered.

They flew around the graveyard, weaving in and out of the headstones, completely ignoring my commands looking like the horror version of balloons that had been let go to fly around a room before they'd been tied.

"What's going on?" I asked in panic, tapping into my power, trying to force them in Cass's direction.

Some obeyed, but the majority of them didn't, and those that did swerved and changed direction when getting within three feet of him.

I summoned more hell hounds only to see them immediately dispelled.

"What the _hell_?" I asked angrily reaching my hand over one of the bone piles.

They trembled slightly, but refused to form, meanwhile Cass was walking towards me.

"I don't understand." I said trying to force the bones to move but they'd gone completely unresponsive. Slowly, one by one, the spirits were making their way back into the Underworld.

"It's not going to work Ev." He said calmly. He was only a few feet away and now and I was surprised to feel fear creeping through my veins.

I took a step back.

"They're not going to hurt me."

"You don't know that." I said hearing my voice tremble slightly. "You don't-"

"I do." He said gently. "Because I know you. You don't want to hurt me. So you won't let them, no matter what you tell yourself."

I tried to command them in Cass's direction, but was completely ignored.

He was close now, too close. He reached out for me, but I took an automatic step back and this time the spirits did respond.

In an instant, they divided the space between us creating a supernatural wall. I hadn't told them to do that. My powers had completely taken on a mind of their own. They'd seized on panic, sprouting from a conflict raging within me that I'd been unaware of until now. I felt the night creeping in, threatening to shroud me in darkness allowing me disappear. It was what I wanted. I didn't know why but wanted to get out of here, to step into a shadow and vanish but I could tell from the expression on Cass's face that he wasn't about to let that happen.

The ghosts had surrounded me now, like some sort of supernatural force field. He paused, clearly thinking. Then he did something incredibly stupid.

He stepped through the wall of spirits.

I stared at Cass, rooted to the ground in shock. I expected them to attack, but they didn't. They let him through and I found myself looking up at him in disbelief. Was he out of his mind? He'd just walked through a literal wall of ghosts. Not even Micah would have done that. Even my friends thought my ability to summon spirits was freaky.

"Is that all you got Ev?" he asked quietly stepping closer.

I didn't answer.

"You're going to have to do a lot worse than that to scare me off."

His eyes met mine and my heart skipped a beat. A fear I didn't understand swelled within me, triggering my flight response. Without thinking, I tried to vanish, but as the shadows twisted around me Cass caught my wrist.

"I don't think so." He said shaking his head.

"Cass-"

"I'm still here Ev. I didn't run away." He said. "You think I'm going to let you?"

The spirits were still circling us, mirroring the chaos raging within me. My thoughts were racing, my hair catching in the icy wind the ghosts created but I hardly noticed. The wailing and howling continued but it sounded as if they were miles away. He was looking at me like he always did, like he didn't want to look away but I'd never felt like this when he had. So... small. I couldn't tell you how many monsters I'd killed, how many times I'd come within inches of death, but I'd never felt fear like this.

"Why didn't you?" I asked.

I'd thrown everything I had at him, save for dragging him into the Fields of Punishments or the River Styx. He should have been terrified. He should have run.

I didn't recognize the expression he gave me. Usually Cass was so cool and collected, a little snarky sometimes or rude when he was irritated, but usually he acted untouchable. Like most people and things weren't worth much of his attention. What was the word he'd used? Tolerated. He tolerated things but he never really cared about them. That wasn't how he looked now.

He looked like he cared, like he _really_ cared, and he didn't know what to do about it. He was thinking again, I could see it in his eyes. I could also see the moment he seemed to reach some sort of decision.

"Cass what are you-"

But before I could finish the sentence, he'd took my face between his hands and kissed me.

Immediately everything, the spirits, the monsters, the world, even my brain just stopped. I stood there, rigid, not sure what was going on or what to do. My thoughts had jammed like a car stuck in gear and I was completely unable to move. My heart was racing, it's beats pounding through me until it was all I could hear.

I couldn't describe the emotion that was going through me. I'd never felt it before, but spread like wildfire, racing through my veins burning totally out of control, pushed along by my frantic heart. It took me over, leaving me paralyzed unable to do anything but look at him, wide eyed, completely frozen in shock as we broke apart.

He looked at me like he always did. Like he didn't want to look away, like he _never_ wanted to look away. I hadn't really thought much of it before. I mean, he was different than most people, I'd always known that. But I'd never really known what it meant. Not really.

Now I did, and in his eyes I could see the fire that I felt.

He seemed to realize it too and in the moment that he looked at me, it felt as if the entire world had changed. But then he looked away. And suddenly, it was over. The world started spinning again, and my brain switched back on.

"Do with that information what you will." He said quietly, letting me go.

I should have done something, said something, anything. But I was taken so off guard I was still trying to figure out if what had happened had really happened. I watched him walk away, completely confused, my brain playing catch up having no clue what had just happened or what to do. I didn't know how to process it. I was so stunned, he was at the edge of the graveyard before I realized the spirits had dissipated. The bones had settled back into the earth and the fissure had sealed itself. Thirty seconds ago, this place looked like something out of the most horrific of nightmares, now it was like nothing had ever happened.

The moon peaked out from between the clouds, providing the slightest amount of light. I continued to look at Cass, trying to shake off the insane roller coaster of emotions I going through.

What had just happened? What was going to happen from here?

I shook my head and walked after him, trying to reset my brain to thinking about things the way they were before this mission. Where things were easy, simple. Where I could classify Cassian Holt as the heartbreaking pretty boy I just happened to get along with sometimes, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't get this feeling, or the way he had looked at me out of my mind.

It felt as if my entire world had just been turned upside down. The only thing I was sure of now was that easy had just been thrown out the window. Things weren't simple anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the delay of this chapter. Between snow, my computer crashing, and moving it's taken a while for me to finish this chapter. Thank you for your patience, hopefully it was worth the wait. As always thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing/ messaging. Hope you like it!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

I wish I could say that kissing Evelyn had been part of a plan. That I'd figured out some perfect way to make her feel the way that I clearly felt about her, because I'd just made an idiot of myself, and it was plain by her expression that she had no idea how to handle it.

I could tell she'd been shocked, but that was all could tell. Being a son of Aphrodite, I might have an unnaturally keen insight into people's emotions, but Evelyn's had always been frustratingly hard to get a read on. I wasn't sure if it was because she was so powerful, or because she rarely paid any attention to that part of her life, that I couldn't get a sense. All I knew was that I had no idea what had been going on in her head when I'd kissed her or what she might be thinking now, and I'll admit, it was bothering me.

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension I could feel settling in my shoulders. I hated this feeling, this uncertainty. Waiting to react. I'd never kissed a girl I wasn't sure liked me before, in fact, I'd never even approached one. That had never really been a problem because, well, most girls had, but this was totally different. I'd never been the person with the stronger feelings, or, I felt a dart of fear go through me, possibly the only one with any feelings at all. I'd always been the one that was in control, the one driving every relationship I'd ever been in. Now I'd just veered off a cliff and all I could do was hope I survived the fall.

Did Evelyn feel the same way? Probably not. Even if she did, I wasn't confident she'd recognize it for what it was. I didn't know if Evelyn had ever dated anyone or not, but there was one thing I did know. Evelyn wasn't the sentimental, spontaneous hearts and flowers romance kind of person. She showed people cared about them by beating up their enemies.

'Or by cutting heads of skeletons.' A small voice in the back of my mind said and I couldn't help but feel a small smile pull at the corner of my mouth at the memory. It was so Evelyn. Irritated? Use your sword. Facing monsters? Use your sword. Any other miscellaneous problems? You guessed it, sword. I had a feeling that if Evelyn could have put her more complicated emotions into a box, and traded them for weapons, she would have done it years ago.

I sighed and put my hands in my pockets, feeling the smile fade as I continued to walk through the night.

I'd told myself that if I'd kissed her, it would force her to realize I cared about her. That it would somehow prove that I didn't care about her father, or what her or my friends thought. I'd told myself that she'd realize what it meant, but that wasn't how Evelyn's brain worked. She'd spent most of her life trying to work out how to stay alive rather than navigating relationships. In reality, all I'd probably managed to do was confuse her. I also knew however, that if I let her, she'd most likely be able to act like it had never happened. It might be easier for her that way, to not deal with it, but that wasn't how I worked.

Being a son of Aphrodite, I'd always thought I had a fairly developed ability to control my emotions, more than most people anyways. All my previous relationships had confirmed that theory. I'd always been the smart one, the one who cared less, if at all, the one who wouldn't get hurt. I was starting to see that I couldn't have been more wrong.

From the moment I'd realized how I felt, the ball had been rolling, and I had no chance of stopping it. This was real. I liked her. I really, _really_ liked her. And I was starting to realize I didn't care what I had to do, or how stupid I would have to look, for just a chance at having her feel the same way. And I didn't know what would happen if she didn't.

A detached part of my mind wondered if that should bother me, that she'd completely reversed the rolls. Maybe anyone else in my shoes would have been angry by this, or bitter, thinking it was some sort of perverse karma, but I didn't care. None of it really mattered did it? This was how I felt, and I wasn't going to sit around feeling angry or sorry for myself. How would that help?

I thought back to the kiss and the shock wave it had sent through me. I could tell she knew, I could see it in her expression, but I didn't know if she'd felt it too. Why did she have to be so hard to read?

Gods what was I doing?

I was being an idiot. There was no other word for it. I was being a complete, freaking fool like the kids at camp who poured their hearts out to my siblings and we pitied or laughed at. My siblings and I were the people that were supposed to loved. Not the ones falling into it…

I felt my shoulders stiffen. Love? That was a dangerous word to be throwing around, even if it was just in my thoughts, and I knew if Angela could see me right now she'd be appalled. And yet…

I thought about the night I'd run into Evelyn on the beach, the way she'd smiled when she'd stepped out into the water, her expression and the way she rolled her eyes whenever she thought I was being rude, but found it kind of funny. I thought about how she could go from complete monster fighting bad ass, to eating ice cream from one moment to next, and every one of the little things I was learning to love about her from the short time we'd been forced together.

It was these thoughts that made me certain that I'd do it again. The curse, the mission. I was willing to look like an idiot if it meant I had any kind of chance with her. Maybe it was pathetic. Maybe my siblings were going to give me endless crap for it, and maybe my friends were going to excommunicate me from their power squad at camp, but I didn't care. If they had an issue with Evelyn, I wasn't even sure I wanted to be their friends anymore. In the end, she was here, trying to help me when none of them would.

But after what had just happened, would she stay?

"Cass?"

Evelyn's voice was hesitant, and I turned to see she'd caught up with me.

We were no longer in the cemetery. I hadn't realized that as I'd been walking I'd hit the road. It was a mix of gravel and dirt, and I realized, she'd been right to tell me what was around in case I had tried to run. Apart from the cemetery, there really was nothing here. Just woods to my left and open field on the right. A vague part of me wondered where we were, my sense of time had gotten completely skewed being stuck in the Underworld, and we could have been in any time zone. But this thought was driven from my mind when she spoke.

She looked uncertain, as if she wasn't quite sure how to find the words and I felt a distance between us that didn't reflect the three feet that parted her from me.

"Look-"

"We don't have to talk about it." I said quietly, cutting her off.

The ball was totally in her court at the moment and while it was dark, I could see it was making her uncomfortable. Her expression was conflicted as if she both wanted to discuss what had just happened, and pretend it never did.

"I'm just not sure I understand-"

"Yeah you do Ev," I said flatly, taking away the claim to ignorance I knew she'd want to hide behind.

I knew I couldn't push her on this, forcing her to confront it would probably have her running as far and fast as she could, but I wasn't going to let her play dumb.

She didn't respond and I didn't blame her, I wouldn't have known what to say if I was in her position either.

"Look," I said eliminating the need for her to reply. "I'm not asking you to say anything, and if you want we can go back to camp I understand. I can figure out this whole situation on my own I just…"

My voice trailed off and I ran my fingers through my hair.

Her expression was hard to read, but I could tell she was thinking, and I wondered if she was considering taking us back.

My heart rate increased as anxiety crept through me. What if she did want to go back? Did that mean it was the end? I was surprised at the panicked, almost desperate feeling. I swallowed, only to realize how difficult it was. In my poorly thought out plan to try and force Evelyn to understand how I felt about her, did I blow any chance that she might ever feel the same?

Anxiety turned into fear that sent a chill throughout me. I searched her face, trying to get something, any sort of answer from her expression. But she kept staring at me and I couldn't read a single thing. I had no idea what was going on in her mind.

Though it could only have been a few seconds, it felt like hours it took hours for her to respond and in that time, I realized it was getting harder to breathe.

"Do you want to go back?" she asked eventually.

"No." I said honestly, without pausing to think.

"Do you still want to be friends?"

It was my turn to hesitate now, just for a fraction of a second, before I nodded and I wondered if she noticed. Her eyes gave nothing away, but I would take friends over nothing, and I had a feeling she was thinking the same thing.

"Well," she said gruffly, glancing away towards the woods for a moment before looking back at me. "If you can handle hell hounds and spirits, I can handle this."

She still sounded a little uncertain, but she held out her hand and eventually gave me a smirk.

"C'mon pretty boy." She said. "We've got a mission to finish."

I grinned, which made no sense. People called me that at camp, though it was usually when they were mad at me. But there had been affection in her tone, and I liked hearing it there.

"Alright goth girl." I countered and she rolled her eyes, but I could have sworn her smile grew.

I took her hand and felt the shadows envelope us, cool and dark, but also something close to familiar now.

There were a few moments of pressing darkness before my senses were assaulted, heat and bright summer sun hitting me like a brick wall.

"Hades." I said shielding my eyes. Having spent the last several hours at least in the Underworld and a dark graveyard, they were having trouble adjusting. "Where are we?"

"My house." Evelyn said, as if this should be obvious.

I blinked, trying to get used to the light. Well that explained the heat. Georgia in the summer. This was an experience I would have happily forgone.

We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded large fields of wild grass swaying in a summer breeze that was rolling over them. She pointed up a long gravel drive, where a large farm house sat on a slight hill. It was white with dark shutters, big windows and a wraparound porch complete with a bench swing and rocking chairs. It looked like something out of a novel, and I half expected middle aged southern woman to step out and offer me a glass of sweet tea.

"This is your house?" I asked in surprise, for some reason, not able to picture Evelyn here.

"What?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Expecting a bat cave or something?"

"No." I said frowning. "Just maybe something more… modern."

"And extravagant?" she asked accurately guessing the tone of the words I'd left out.

"Yeah."

"I'm not my dad." She said flatly. "And neither is my Mom. C'mon." She gestured for me to follow her as she began to walk up the drive. "She usually works from home in the beginning of the week. If we're lucky we might catch her."

I wasn't sure why, but I hesitated before stepping after her, continuing to look around, unable to find a stranger location to imagine her. Here it was relaxed, even peaceful. Evelyn with her weapons, dark clothes, and 'don't mess with the daughter of death' vibe, couldn't have looked more out of place.

"Hurry up Cass." She said gesturing for me to follow her without turning around. "The last thing I need is for you to be carried off by a harpy while I'm not looking."

Epov

I walked through the front door, sensing the tension I nearly always felt drain from me second my boots hit the wooden floor. This happened every time I was here. Every time I came home. This was the one place I didn't have to worry about other people or being instinctually shunned. The one place where I was normal. Well, I guess in the Underworld I was relatively normal, but here I didn't have to deal with attendants like Leopold and his boney buddies following me around. Or Dad.

I moved through the front hall, noticing Cass was looking around with obvious curiosity. I couldn't imagine he'd find anything that interesting. Not after the palace anyways. It was just a house after all.

The place looked like it always did. Pictures lined the white walls, and books were, well, everywhere. They were stacked on tables and random ledges which told me some sort of research was being done. Even the TV stand in the family room had been taken over, as well as the mantel over the fire place.

The house wasn't a mess, which meant I knew my mom must have been between big projects at the moment. Things tended to get a little disordered when she was working on something major. That being said, when I walked into the dining room, I saw papers and references books were scattered over the table, as well as what looked like a couple of schematics I wasn't interested enough in to investigate.

I heard soft footsteps and looked to my right to see my mother walking into the room from the kitchen holding her laptop and a cup of coffee.

"Evelyn," she said looking a little shocked but then smiling.

"Hey Mom."

"Welcome home. I thought you were at camp?" It was then she spotted Cass, and I could see her confusion cross her features. "Who is this?"

Cass looked as surprised as she did and I knew why. She obviously wasn't what he was expecting. Most people when they thought of a woman who'd gotten involved with Hades, pictured some shut in goth obsessed over the idea of death, but in reality my mother was pretty normal. That and she looked almost nothing like me.

She was short, several inches shorter than I was, and petite, with long blonde hair. It was put up into a bun at the moment, and she was wearing black glasses that framed deep green eyes.

Before I could answer however, there was a sharp noise as a door slammed shut. Steps pounded the level above us then thundered down the stairs.

"Where is she?" shouted an excited voice I'd recognize anywhere from the hall. "I'd know the stomping from those boots anywhere."

"Oh gods." I muttered and suddenly, my arms were pinned to my sides as someone grabbed me from behind and lifted me into the air.

I didn't need to look back to know who it was that held me. There was only one person alive or dead that would dare do that to me.

"Evy!" my brother said happily. "I didn't know you were coming home, what are you…"

But I felt him freeze mid-question and I knew once again, Cass's presence had sparked some confusion.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Nick," my mother chided quietly as I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he didn't let me go, apparently too distracted by Cass.

"Nick," I said annoyed, trying to kick his shins. "Put me down."

He did but when I turned to face him, I saw that Nick was frowning at Cass.

"What are you doing here?" I asked trying to draw his focus back to me, and away from Cass. "I thought you were interning in Seattle?"

Nick was pre-med, going to school clear across the country in Washington. He'd scored a competitive internship over the summer with a hospital in the city and that was where I'd thought he'd be now. I hadn't expected him to be home.

"Dr. Waters is on vacation, and the doctors can only take on one undergrad intern. I decided to come home and help your mom out around the house. What are you doing here? I thought you were at camp all summer." He looked back at Cass his eyes narrowed. "Who's this?"

"Right." I said feeling a little thrown at Nick's sudden appearance, and trying to ignore the issues I knew it was going to cause. "Mom, Nick, this is Cass. Uh, Cassian Holt." I said realizing how weird it was hearing his full name, even if I was the one saying it. I was so used to saying Cass at this point, it almost sounded wrong. "He's my-"

"You'd better not say boyfriend." Nick practically growled, already gearing up to go into full big brother mode. He looked at me with a stern expression and it took everything I had not to tackle him to the floor.

"And what if I did?" I bristled irritated. Who was he to say that? "How many girlfriends of yours have I had to put up with over the years?"

"That's not the same." He said waving a hand dismissively and I glared at him.

"How is it not?" I asked in indignation.

"How many times have I told you, you're too young for all that."

"You are such a hypocrite." I said darkly as my mother sighed and sat back at the table. She started to type at her computer, obviously deciding to wait out the bickering rather than trying to intervene. "Besides, it's really _none_ of your business."

"Of course it's my business." He said darkly.

"I don't really see how."

"You're my little sister!" he snapped in exasperation, as if this should have made everything clear.

"So? That doesn't mean you get a say in who I date."

"You want to bet?" he snapped and I was about to remind Nick I was more than capable of pounding him through the floor when Cass interrupted.

"I'm sorry to interrupt uh, whatever is going on here." He said gesturing between Nick and I who were glaring daggers at each other. "But I thought you might find it helpful to know that I'm not Evelyn's boyfriend. You know, before she decides to kick your ass."

"Wait? You're not?" Nick asked, clearly brought up short.

"No Nick." I said in exasperation.

"Oh." He said blankly then looked a bit sheepish. "Well," he frowned and looked at Cass, but now he just looked puzzled rather than angry. "Who are you then?"

"Cass is a friend from camp. But even if we were dating you wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

Nick scowled, but my mother, clearly sensing another fight and determined to head it off, interceded.

"Speaking of camp, why aren't you there?" she asked looking up from the laptop and giving me a concerned expression. "Not that we're not happy to see you, but usually you give us a call before you head our way. Is everything alright?"

"It was kind of last minute." I admitted, taking off my bag and pulling out the medallion which I then tossed to her. "I need help identifying that." I continued as she caught it.

She frowned, looking at the bronze and the symbols on it.

"Where did you get it?" she asked turning the metal over in her fingers, inspecting it from different angles.

"Cass's mom." I said hoping she'd pick up on what it meant, but afraid to say anything more in front of Nick. "Does it mean anything to you?"

"No." she said eventually, placing the medallion on the table and looking up at me. "But something about it does look familiar. I'll reach out to colleagues, see if they know anything about it."

She picked up her phone, which was resting next to her laptop on the table and took a picture of the face of the medallion, then the back. She then started to type, no doubt writing a mass email to her extensive professional network.

"Think we'll hear back anytime soon?" I asked and she let out a half amused, half irritated sigh.

"Hard to say, you know how we academics are." She said with a slightly guilty smile. "We tend to bury ourselves in our work. It can make response times...varied, at best. But I'll let you know if anything turns up."

"Thanks Mom."

"So that's why you're back?" Nick asked raising an eyebrow as my mother returned to her computer. "To identify some crappy amulet? And what does he have to do with any of this?" He jerked his thumb in Cass's direction. "Why does it feel like half the time you come home you're in the middle of something weird?"

"You know it always amazes me how you continually manage to break the laws of physics." I said grinning at him. "Astounding really. There is no possible way your nose could big enough to be this far in my business."

"Seriously Ev, what's going on?"

"I told you Nick. My father is the King of the Underworld and weird stuff happens to me as a result."

Cass's eyes went wide and Nick scowled.

"You know sometimes I come close to actually believing that…" he grumbled. "You say it so much it's like it's really true."

I smirked and winked at him. He looked irritated, but his sour expression was quickly replaced with excitement as music blared from his back pocket, and he pulled out his phone. He almost dropped it in his eagerness to answer the call, and walked out of the room but not before saying.

"Hey Lils."

"Girlfriend I'm guessing?" Cass asked looking down the hall as Nick stepped out on to the porch.

"Something like that." I said shrugging. 'Lils', or Liliana, was a tattoo artist he'd met up in Seattle while he was at school. She was his artist for his latest ink and I guess they'd just kept talking after. "I don't know much about it."

"Don't like your brother's girlfriend?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't really think I needed to form an opinion." I said honestly with a shrug. "Girlfriends don't tend to last with Nick. And besides, most of the girls he dates don't really like me."

I had a feeling sometimes the two things were related.

Cass was quiet for a moment and he seemed to be considering what I'd said.

"Doesn't really explain the ring box in his pocket." He said quietly and I felt as if my brain had smacked into the wall.

"What?" I asked in shock.

"I assume that's the real reason he's here?" Cass questioned, glancing at my mother who gave him a calculated look. "The ring."

"It was his mothers." She said eventually. "And yes, he came back to get it."

"Why didn't you guys say something?" I asked her in an accusatory tone.

"It wasn't my news to share." My mother said with a shrug.

But she didn't meet my eyes, and I had a feeling she wasn't being completely honest. And that didn't explain why Nick hadn't said anything either.

I felt a little confused but I wasn't sure what to say. It didn't matter however, because my mom took control of the conversation.

"You seem to be a very perceptive young man Cassian." She said turning towards him. Her gaze was shrewd, but it wasn't unfriendly. Just cautious. As if his insight had unsettled her. "Mind telling me who you really are?"

It took longer to explain Cass's situation to my mother than I thought it would, but when it was fully explained, she didn't question it. Like Nick had said earlier, I often came home in the middle of weird situations. They were sort of used to it by now.

The night passed in a weird sort of purgatory as we waited for my mother's colleagues to respond. She had to work and Nick had had plans to meet with some of the friends he'd made in the nearest town, so everyone was sort of left to their own devices. By eight the sun had almost completely set and I found myself in bed scrolling through my phone. I didn't normally do this, I usually didn't have the time or the interest really. I only had a phone for emergencies and I hardly ever used it, but tonight was an exception. I'd tried to go to bed early, exhausted from everything that had been going on over the last few days, but found the second my head hit my pillow, I was unable to sleep.

This wasn't completely out of the ordinary. I'd been having nightmares lately, more than usual, and often times when the nightmares got worse it was harder to sleep. But nightmares weren't the thing keeping me up, though part of me almost wished they were. I could understand nightmares. My mind was occupied by something else, something I certainly didn't understand.

Cass had kissed me. And while I'd almost forgotten about it since being home, I couldn't get it out of my head now. Coming home we'd had an objective, a goal. We were trying to identify the medallion and move on to whatever was next to complete the mission, and when we'd had something to do, the fact that Cass had kissed me had been much easier to ignore. But now we were waiting, and I found it wasn't as easy to push from my mind.

I groaned and rolled over, closing my eyes, trying not to think but it was impossible. I _hated_ waiting, especially on missions like this. I liked it when we were moving. Doing things gave at least the illusion of progress, even if we didn't get actual results. But this just sitting here, hoping for something to happen, it made me antsy. It felt like something dark was looming ahead of us, and in my experience, stagnation was the worst way to prepare. It was all made worse by the fact we were waiting on something I couldn't control. Either someone knew the information, or they didn't, and if they didn't, well, I didn't know what we were going to do.

Why had he kissed me?

The unwelcome question kept popping into my mind no matter how hard I tried to force it out. With nothing else to do, my brain fixated on it and I found the longer it did, the less things made sense.

Why had he done it? To prove a point? Maybe he knew that by shocking me it would disrupt my abilities, not that they had been responding at the time really. I still couldn't believe that, the way the spirits had acted, how I'd been unable to keep the hellhounds summoned or the shadows under my control. I'd never really intended to hurt Cass, just to scare him, but that didn't explain why the second the monsters had gotten near him, they'd been dispelled. Or why the ghosts had avoided him like the plague.

He'd said it had happened because I didn't want him to get hurt. Well I already knew that, but maybe that desire had been stronger than I thought. Had my powers failed because subconsciously, I didn't want there to be any chance at all?

'No.' I thought stubbornly. 'I trust my ability to control my powers.'

I could shadow travel into a specific room in a specific building from clear across the planet. I could find any spirit or monster from my father's realm and summon it on a whim. I could walk through shadows, manipulate them to do almost anything I wanted. I was totally in control.

'Then why are you still having nightmares?' a voice asked quietly in the back of my mind. 'And why, when you were angry at Vivian, was Cass the one who had to stop you?'

Though I was under my blankets, I felt cold and opened my eyes. I didn't want to think about this, and I didn't want to think about Cass. So what if he'd kissed me? And what did it matter why? It didn't change anything, right? Not really. He'd said he wanted to be friends. We were friends before it had happened, and we were friends after. That was the end of it.

'Friends don't kiss each other.' The voice pointed out, far more honestly than I would have liked. 'Not like that. And if they did, they wouldn't obsess over it afterwards.'

"I'm not obsessing." I said irritated, not even realizing at first that I'd said it out loud, but feeling a flash of annoyance when I realized I had.

Great. Now I was talking to myself.

'Screw Cass and his stupid kiss.' I thought irritated. 'He's messing everything up.'

I didn't ask for things to start getting complicated. I'd agreed to help him lift the curse he was under and that's it. Now he was making things confusing, boundaries I didn't even realized I'd drawn were getting blurred. But why were they blurring even at all?

More frustration flooded through me and I felt like hitting something. Possibly Cass. Why had he done this? This made no sense. This was Cass of all people, why on earth would he be kissing me?

'You know why.' The small voice said and I felt a wave of tension wash over me, as if my body were physically trying to resist this notion.

'I don't _know_.' I thought not sure who I was trying to convince. 'He never said-'

'You know.' It whispered quietly from the back of my mind. And I remembered what Cass had said when I'd tried to explain it away. Hoping he'd give me an out.

 _'Yeah you do Ev.'_

It was why he'd said it. So I couldn't ignore this, I couldn't pretend I didn't know what it meant. He'd known I'd try to. He seemed to know a lot about how I'd react most of the time. It was why he always got what he'd wanted from me at camp. I was starting to think Cass was a lot smarter than he let people realize. Did he know what was going to be going through my head?

I could sense the rabbit hole I was about to go down following this train of thought, but I refused to engage it.

'No.' I thought stubbornly.

This was taking up too much mental energy. I wouldn't think about it. I wouldn't think about him. Screw Cass. I didn't have to deal with this. I wasn't going to play his little mind games.

I closed my eyes intending make myself sleep through sheer force of will when I heard something. My eyes darted open, and while the sound was one I'd heard before, I couldn't seem to place it. I turned my head in the noise's direction trying to identify it, and saw that my phone screen had lit up. Immediately, I realized what it was. My phone had vibrated. I had a text.

I grabbed it a little surprised, the only people who ever contacted me via my cell were Mom, Nick, and a select few of my friends at camp. It was rare, but when they did, they almost always called and usually it was because of an emergency. No one ever texted. It had been so long since I'd gotten one, I'd almost forgotten the sound.

Curious, I glanced at the screen only to feel a pang of shock, then irritation go through me. It was from Cass. We'd exchanged numbers in his father's apartment, in case we got separated but I knew where he was. He was in the guest room, one door down and I seriously doubted if there'd been some sort of emergency, I wouldn't have heard it.

I put my phone down and let out an aggravated noise. I wouldn't answer it. I wouldn't even look at it. I didn't want to think about Cass and this was only going to make it harder. I just wouldn't.

The phone vibrated again. The second reminder that I had a message and I tried to ignore the curiosity that was rising within me.

Gods what did he want? I tried to think of anything that could have happened that would have been too urgent to wait until the morning to tell me, but not enough that he didn't come to my door. I came up with nothing.

It couldn't be that important, right?

'No.' I thought darkly.

Whatever it was, it could wait until tomorrow. I wasn't going to spend any more time thinking about stupid Cassian Holt.

So why in my father's name had I unlocked the phone? I hadn't even realized I'd done it until I read the message.

 **'Your brother has got to be the loudest snorer on the planet. I can hear him through the wall.'**

Nick had come back a few hours ago. I'd heard him turn on the TV downstairs when he got home, but I hadn't joined him. Normally I would have. I didn't see him a lot since he was so busy with school and I usually tried to capitalize on the times when we were both home, but I felt weird about it today. I wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe I'd hoped to avoid more questions about Cass, or maybe I was still confused, and a little annoyed with him, that he'd lied about why he'd come home, but I found as I reread Cass's text, I couldn't help but grin.

The next thing I knew, I'd responded.

 _'I know that. Which is why I picked the room FARTHEST from his when we moved.'_

I laughed a little as I sent the message. Nick had come up about an hour ago and must have fallen asleep. His room was past the guest room, where Cass would be staying, on the other end of the hall. Still grinning, I typed a second message.

 _'Have fun with that tonight.'_

I didn't know why, but I didn't put the phone down when I saw that it was delivered. I watched the icon that meant he was typing, strangely eager to see his response.

I let out another laugh, this one louder, when he sent me a gif of a hippo sleeping on its back, clearly snoring.

 _'I'm going to hell for laughing at that.'_

 **'Say hi to your Dad for me. I think he liked me.'**

I rolled my eyes, fighting the growing smile as I responded.

I spent the next few minutes like that, messaging back and forth with Cass. I found myself getting annoyed, realizing how out of practice I was with typing when I saw how much faster his responses were, but I seemed to forget the irritation every time I read one of his replies. I only looked up when I heard footsteps on the stairs, and a 'click' in the hall as the light switched off.

My Mom must have come up and was going to bed. I glanced around in surprise to see my room had gotten dark. Night had truly fallen now. I hadn't even noticed.

I turned my gaze out the window, and saw something that made me smile once again tonight. I sat up quickly and threw off my blanket, excitement coursing through me as I stepped off the bed and into the darkness.

I was lucky Cass had turned off his light as well, otherwise I would have had to travel to under his bed or in the closet, and both places were creepy to just emerge from. Still, when I stepped out of the shadows next to his bed, I clapped a hand over his mouth just to be safe.

"Don't shout." I said quickly, keeping my voice low. His eyes were wide and I could tell I'd startled him. I found it took effort not to laugh at his expression. "If you do, Nick's gonna burst through the door and kick your ass."

"And why is that?" he asked as I withdrew my hand. The light was dim, but I could see him raise an eyebrow.

"Because it's dark, it's late, and you're male."

"You were the one who came in here." He pointed out. I saw his phone was in his hand, a message half typed out and for some reason, my heart rate increased.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug, trying to ignore this and sitting on the blankets next to him. "But that's not how big brother logic works. I'm his little sister and you're new. He'll blame you."

"Last time I checked, you didn't need defending." He said flatly. "But is that why you're here? To tell me your brother is going to beat me up?"

"No." I said honestly, wondering if he even could. Cass might not be a fighter, but he was still a demigod. He was just as tall as Nick, and was athletic even if he didn't put it to much use. Nick was a bit of a wimp too. Despite his tattooed, rocker appearance, he'd never been in a real fight before. Only mosh pits.

"Then why are you here?" Cass asked. He didn't look unhappy about it, just a little curious.

"I wanted to show you something." I said standing and holding out my hand for him to take.

"What is it?" he asked with interest but I shook my head.

"It's better if you see it. Just close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to."

"Alright." He said a little uncertainly. I could tell he was wondering what was going on but he stood all the same.

His eyes met mine, and I was surprised to realize how familiar they'd become over the last few days. I'd always been just a little bit uncomfortable when he looked at me. I wasn't used to the way he did. It was different from anyone I'd met, but it didn't feel uncomfortable now. In fact, my heart pounded a little harder as I realized, it felt kind of nice.

His hand slide into mine as he closed his eyes, and I was snapped back into reality.

"Keep them closed." I said grinning.

"Or what?" he asked, a hint of a smirk crossing his features. "Going to have your big brother beat me up?"

"If one of us is going to beat you up Cass, I'm sure I would be much more efficient at it. But no. I just don't want to ruin the view."

"View of what?"

I didn't answer, but took his free hand in mine and stepped back into the shadows, pulling him with me.


	18. Chapter 18

Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience waiting for this chapter update. With the start of the semester I've had far less time to write, RIP my sleep schedule. Thank you for all the positive support from those who are reviewing/following/favoriting/messaging. Hope you like it!

~ Secrethalfblood

Cpov

I didn't know what Evelyn was up to or why I wasn't allowed to see, but when we got to where ever she wanted to go, I could tell we were outside. The air was heavier than it had been in the guest room, humid with what was left of the day's summer heat, and I caught the smell of grass which I could feel beneath my feet. I hadn't put shoes on before we left.

"Are your eyes still shut?" she asked. She sounded excited about something but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.

"Yes." I said my tone caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Just hold on a second." She said dragging me a few steps.

Her hand was still in mine and she was moving quickly. Too quickly. I tripped over a rock and pain radiated through my toes.

"Hades Ev," I said my eyes flying open on instinct as she caught me.

"Sorry," she said hastily, helping me back to my feet.

"What…" But my voice faded as I straightened and looked up, seeing what was in front of me.

We were on a hill, overlooking an open field with the same tall grass that surrounded her house. Below us was a small pond, just visible in the moonlight filtering from a sky full of more stars than I'd ever seen. But that wasn't what had caught my attention.

All around us glowed faint pinpricks of light, fading in and out as they floated through the night.

"Whoa." I said quietly and I could hear her smile as she said.

"Cool, right?"

"Yeah." I said turning to look in other directions feeling a little lost for words.

All across the field were hundreds of fireflies, maybe thousands, hovering over the grass, their light reflecting in the water of the pond. They were everywhere, blinking in and out of the night, flying passed Evelyn and I, looking like something straight out of a dream.

I watched in amazement, unable describe the feeling that was going through me. Seeing how many of them that there were, scattered across the field. The closest word I could think of was awe. I felt small, but not in a bad way as I took it all in. I'd never seen anything like it.

"This is incredibly cool." I said smiling.

Her hand was still in mine and which surprised me, but I didn't bring attention to it, happy to let the situation continue.

"Yeah." She said happily, holding up her free hand as a firefly landed on her palm. "I don't really like the heat, but this is one of my favorite times of the year."

It glowed for a moment, and she watched it, still smiling.

"You know, most things avoid me especially when it gets dark outside." She said thoughtfully. "But these guys never do."

She let out a small laugh as it crawled to her fingertip before it's glow faded and it took off. Her eyes followed it as it flew.

"Who'd have thought." She said still sounding amused. "Fireflies, of all things, being braver than most people."

I watched it too, but found I kept looking back at Evelyn. We didn't talk for a few minutes, but at some point, it registered to me that our fingers were intertwined. I wasn't sure when it had happened or who had done it, but it felt natural. Automatic. Like they fit together and that's just how things were supposed to be between us.

It was a strange feeling, but one I found I liked. Then again, the longer I thought about it, maybe strange wasn't the right word. Maybe it was just... new.

In every relationship I'd ever been in, when I held hands with anyone, I'd done it for a reason. To make them think I liked them more than I actually did. Nearly everything I did in a relationship had felt like that. A conscious action, giving them just enough so they wouldn't realize there wasn't much keeping me there if I wanted to move on to the next girl. But this… this felt comfortable. This felt right. Another feeling I'd never experienced before, and I felt guilt flood through me, making my stomach sink.

Was this what I was convincing people of when I'd dated them? When I really didn't care much about them one way or the other? Maybe that's why April had been so pissed…

'No.' I thought defensively. 'April didn't really care about me. Just the fact that she was dating me.'

Righteous anger flooded through me, absolving me of my guilt for just a moment as more justifications came to my defense. What April had thought she'd felt wasn't really real. Deep down she must have known that. And if she didn't, she wasn't _really_ convinced that this was how I felt about her. Right?

I glanced at Evelyn, thinking what she'd say if I brought this to her attention, and it took all of ten seconds to poke holes in my own argument.

How could April possibly have known how I was feeling? I hadn't told her, in fact, I'd deliberately avoided conversations about how I felt, and I'd acted like I liked her. Even with my abilities I had no idea what was going on in Evelyn's head right now, and April had had even less to work with. For all I'd known, she really could have thought I liked her. And maybe this was what she thought she was feeling. I mean, _I_ knew what she'd been feeling wasn't real. That much I was sure of. But maybe she didn't know that. When I looked at the situation from that perspective, I couldn't help but think maybe April was right. She might have been a bit deluded, but I'd taken advantage of it. She hadn't meant any harm. It wasn't her fault people treated me the way they did because of the way I looked. It's not like I didn't encourage it, and no matter how tired I was of girls acting this way towards me, she was right. What I'd done was, well, cruel.

'She had to have known.' I thought a little desperately, not liking the cold feeling that was spreading through me at this realization.

Everyone at camp knew that I don't really date girls, not seriously anyways. But would I have been in the situation I was in if she did? Would she have been so angry, resorted to all this, if she'd known where things stood from the very start?

The fireflies continued to glint in the distance over the next several minutes as the guilt washed over me. How many people had I done this to? I tried to think back over the years, of all the girls I'd 'dated', but the longer I thought about it, the worse I felt. Anxiety settled in the pit of my stomach to the point of feeling sick and I couldn't take it anymore. I needed something to alleviate the guilt.

"Ev?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?" she asked her eyes still roaming over the field, apparently unaware of the game emotional tug of war my brain and my conscious were playing.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"What?" she asked with what sounded like a surprised laugh.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?" I repeated, looking at her this time.

"No." she said sounding perplexed, but also a little amused. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because I think I might be." I muttered and it was hard to explain the look she gave me, but it felt as if she was looking through me, to my very core. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

"Why's that?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well… look what I did to April." I said finding it hard to meet her gaze. "To every girl I've dated really."

"Cass-" She started in a placatory tone, but I cut her off, apparently unable to stop the words once they started.

"And I'm kind of terrible to people at camp." I said. "Even my friends. I know I'm a jerk a lot. Angela tells me I should be nicer to people all the time, but I can't help it sometimes. People just irritate me." I could hear the defensiveness in my tone, the self-justifications, even when I wasn't sure I believe them. "They irritate me all the time actually, and, well… I just say stuff before I even realize it comes out. I'm not even sure if I mean it half the time, I just-"

"You're not a bad person Cass." She said, interrupting me this time and I looked at her feeling uncertain.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She said and while she hesitated, it looked as if she was thinking about what she wanted to say, not that she didn't mean it. "You're just…" she grinned a little before continuing with. "Grumpy."

"What?" I asked confused.

"You're grumpy." She said with more confidence this time. "You know, grouchy, petulant. You're not a bad person, you just don't have a lot of patience for people you don't like. And you surround yourself with them."

I felt myself frown, trying to unpack what she'd just said and she seemed to realize I didn't quite believe her because she continued.

"Think about it Cass. You said people notice when I'm in a bad mood right? Avoid me when I'm upset. Well, you do the same thing. Just by insulting people."

"I insult everyone."

"You don't insult me."

"Yeah, well I like you." I pointed out and she laughed.

"That's my point. You're nice to me, and you don't bother my friends. Well, unless Micah says something stupid. I know you're nice to your sister Angela. You're only rude to people when they annoy you. It's like your version of the death aura. You just want to be left alone. Problem is, everyone who sees you wants you to like them." She let out another laugh. "You know you might _actually_ be too good looking for your own good."

I felt a shock go through me at these words, not least of all because they were coming from Evelyn. Not that she wasn't smart, but I hadn't considered insight like this to be Evelyn's strong suit. I was honestly a little surprised she thought about it at all, let alone this much.

"You don't know that." I said stubbornly, not sure why I was digging in. I didn't like the feeling that she had a better read on me than I had on her for the moment. I wasn't used to that. Since when was I the clueless one?

"Ok Cass." She said sarcastically, and though the light was dim, I could see her roll her eyes.

"What if I like being good looking?" I asked. "Well, my current situation excluded."

"If you were as into your looks as you claim, why did you turn your dad down when he wanted you to model?" she asked and I stared at her.

"How do you know about that?" I asked quietly.

I hadn't told her about that argument with my father. In fact, I hadn't told anyone the truth about why I ended up at camp full time, not even my siblings.

"I heard a couple of the girls talking about it before the show." She said with a shrug, I couldn't tell if she looked guilty or not, but I was surprised to find I wasn't angry.

"Models?" I asked and she nodded. "I'm guessing it had something to do with my father?"

Her expression darkened.

"Yeah." She said stiffly.

"Of course it did." I muttered and there was a moment of silence between us, which she eventually broke. When she did, she sounded angry.

"Those girls seemed horrible. All they could talk about was how getting close to you would help their career. They seemed to think they knew everything they needed to know about you because of how you looked." Her tone was heavy with distaste. "I don't blame you for trying to push people like that way, however you choose to do it."

She still looked angry but something about her expression made me feel strangely… happy. What she'd heard had obviously bothered her, it looked as if it had bothered her a lot. She actually cared, cared about me, and it had nothing to do with how I looked.

If anyone else, even Angela, had brought this up, I would have been furious. But with Evelyn it was different. She actually seemed to understand something I'd always sort of known about myself, but never really been aware of. Deep down, I resented the way people treated me because of how I looked, no matter how I might act.

"Well," I said hesitantly, feeling my mood improving. "If I'm not a bad person, what do you think I am?"

"Does it matter what I think?" she asked.

"It does to me."

She hesitated for a second, again clearly thinking about what she wanted to say. Then she smirked.

"You're kind of a nerd."

"What?" I asked startled into a laugh. "A nerd?"

"Well yeah…" she said as if this should have been obvious to me.

"What on earth makes you think I'm a nerd?"

"Well, you brought a book with you when we left."

"You told me to bring a book!"

"About World War One?" she asked raising an eyebrow and my retort died. "And don't think I didn't notice you looking through the bookshelves in the office earlier." She pointed an accusatory finger at me.

"Your mom has some pretty cool books." I said defensively.

"Only a nerd would think multiple titles on ancient civilizations were 'cool'." She put air quotes around the word.

"I like history? So what?" I shot back.

"You knew a DnD story line was called a campaign."

"Most people know that."

"I didn't." she pointed out her smile growing.

"It's common knowledge!" I said in exasperation.

"Maybe to people who've played."

"It's not just people who've played."

"Have you?" she asked and while her tone was casual, something about her expression told me she could guess the answer.

"Well…"

"Oh my gods." She laughed in what looked almost like delight. "You totally have!"

"Once." I muttered.

She was laughing harder now.

"Shut up Ev." I said trying to come off irritated and not embarrassed, but I didn't think I managed it. "It was years ago and it was online."

"Nerd."

"Hey, I was homeschooled." I said sounding surly even to my own ears. "I didn't know a lot of people. I had a lot of internet friends for a while. I was talked into it."

I thought back to my facebook profile. A few of those friends had found me since April had created it, and I wondered if I should add them. It might be nice to see how they were doing after all this time.

"Didn't you graduate early too?" she asked.

"How the hell do you know that?" I asked suspiciously.

"I hear things." she said with a shrug and when I didn't respond she continued to push. "Well, didn't you?"

"It's not hard to do when you're homeschooled." I muttered trying to avoid answering the question directly. "Not much to do other than study when you know no one in your city."

"What age?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not telling you that." I said sourly.

"Why not?"

"Because it proves your point." I mumbled.

"How old?" she pressed her eyes bright with interest and while I didn't want to tell her, something about her smile had me saying.

"Fourteen."

Another smirk.

"And a half." I added and she laughed.

"You're still a nerd."

"Might I remind you, you were six months behind me with your GED."

"That's not the same and you know it." she said rolling her eyes. "I don't know why you're acting like it's such a bad thing. It's not a bad thing to be smart."

"You didn't say smart." I pointed out. "You said nerd."

"Relax Cass." She said rolling her eyes. "So what if you've got a bit of nerd in you? It's not the end of the world. It's kind of cute actually."

"Cute?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah," she said with a fond smile.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that." I said frowning. I hadn't heard that word used to describe me for years. Since I was a kid really. Handsome, attractive, good looking, hot, those were all par for the course, but cute… That seemed a little weird after all this time. But the longer I looked at Evelyn's expression, the less it bothered me

"You are cute Cass." She said rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Why should that bother you?"

"I'm pretty sure if you ask anyone right now, they wouldn't say-"

"I wasn't talking about your looks." She said sounding irritated. "Gods, could you stop focusing on that for like two seconds?"

"You were the one who brought it up!" I said in exasperation. "Cute is a description for how someone looks."

"Not always." She said with an obstinate expression, crossing her arms over her chest. "And that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" I asked confused.

The question seemed to bring her up short, as if she hadn't really been thinking about what she'd said, until I'd made her think about it. Now she looked a little embarrassed.

"I dunno." She said awkwardly. She was avoiding eye contact, clearly wishing she could backtrack but continued anyway. "Just… some of the stuff you do sometimes, when you're not trying to be ' _Cassian Holt_ ,'" she emphasized my name like you would some sort of celebrity. "'Coveted by all things female'." She shrugged. "It's cute."

"Like what?" I asked more out of curiosity than anything and I was surprised to see her blush.

"Yeah, I'm not inflating your ego any more than it already is." She said trying to sound annoyed, but this time, she was the one who didn't quite manage it.

She was still avoiding my eye and I couldn't help it, I smiled.

"Alright." I said quietly and I allowed a few seconds of silence to pass between us before I glanced at her and smirked a little. "So. Coveted by all things female huh?"

"Oh shut up." She snapped.

"You said it, not me." I pointed out. "And besides, I'm not coveted by all things female."

"Right. Because if there's one thing you're known for around camp it's _not_ being attractive _._ " She scoffed, hiding behind sarcasm. "Even Maya thinks you're hot. And she's been obsessed with Micah since the day he accidentally tripped her on the basketball court."

"You're female." I pointed out.

"So?"

"So I don't really care if Maya thinks I'm hot." I said lightly but she obviously caught my meaning because I saw her stiffen.

"And what?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest again and narrowing her eyes at me. "You care if I do?"

She'd identified the implication, but I wasn't going to tell her so.

"No." I said coolly but unable to help a grin. "Do you want me to?"

This remark earned me a stony silence and I figured I should probably give her a break.

"I guess it wouldn't matter either way, you've never cared how I looked. And besides," I continued careful to keep my tone casual. "It wouldn't really matter if you did. If I remember correctly. It was who asked why would you ever want to go out with me? We have nothing in common, right?"

"Right." She said carefully, her eyes narrowed.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. But in the short time we've been forced together we've discovered we both like to read, we both like poetry, ice cream."

"Who doesn't like ice cream?" She muttered but I ignored her.

"We both have some pretty intense defense mechanisms to keep irritating people away, and you might be the one person on the planet who might be more sarcastic than I am."

The look she gave me was wary.

"So?"

"Still think we have nothing in common?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

She didn't answer.

"So, Ev." I continued easily, trying not to smile too much. "I guess we have to ask you. Am I coveted by _all_ things female?"

I probably shouldn't have enjoyed the scowl she threw at me as much as I did, but I couldn't help myself and my grin grew.

"How do you do that?" she asked irritated.

"Do what?"

"Get under people's skin. And stop looking so damn pleased with yourself." She said sounding aggravated. "It drives me crazy when you use my own words against me, you know that?"

At this I laughed.

"I'm very smart."

"Smart ass maybe." She muttered under her breath glowering into the distance.

By now most of the fireflies had moved on, only the occasional glow blinking into existence for a few seconds before going out.

"The two don't have to be mutually exclusive." I said and she smiled slightly before looking back at me.

"They don't have to be, but they can be."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"No." she said an artificial thoughtfulness in her tone, then she smirked. "Maybe just an ass."

"Not the first time I've been called that."

"I'm sure it won't be the last."

"You're probably right there." I admitted and she laughed.

Another few moments passed where neither of us spoke, and eventually she sighed.

"We should probably head back." She said looking up at the sky.

"How far are we from your house anyways?" I asked looking around.

"Not that far actually." She said gesturing towards the far end of the field. "It's about half a mile past that other hill."

She reached for my hand automatically, and I was prepared to shadow travel when she seemed to debate something with herself.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Do you want to walk?"

"Walk?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, back to the house."

"I know what you meant I just…" but my voice trailed off.

Evelyn rarely walked anywhere if she didn't have to. I was pretty sure shadow traveling was second nature to her at this point. Even if the house wasn't that far, she'd shadow traveled into my room not an hour ago and that was just down the hall. I was surprised she'd asked.

Again, I found myself in a situation where her hand was in mine, and I waited for her to let it go but she didn't.

"Neither of us have shoes on." I pointed out trying to cover my confusion and she looked down.

"I guess you're right." She said unenthusiastically. "We should probably just-"

"But I don't care if you don't." I continued cutting her off.

It occurred to me that when we got back, we were probably going to separate again and go to bed. Walking back would certainly delay that. A small flare of hope went through me as a part of me wondered if she'd been thinking the same thing.

She glanced around again, then smiled.

"It's a nice night." She said. "Let's walk."

She let go of my hand this time, but I found myself wondering if I hadn't pushed her with my comments earlier, if she would have.

We talked about random stuff as we walked. Occasionally we'd lapse into silence but it was never uncomfortable. We'd just gotten on the topic of movies when I spotted the porch lights of the house.

"I can't believe you've seen even less movies than I have." Evelyn said shaking her head. "My family didn't even own a TV until I was like thirteen, and even _I've_ seen _The_ _Matrix_. How have you not-"

But suddenly she froze.

"Ev?" I started a little alarmed at her expression. She looked afraid and I saw her make an automatic motion, it looked like she was reaching for something. "What's-"

She swore, turning quickly. There was a loud snarl, and she darted between me as something jumped out of the ground. It was too dark to see what it was, all I could tell was that it was massive and moving fast.

I heard myself cry out in shock, my heart shooting into my throat, but before I could even start to make sense of what had happened. I felt Evelyn push me roughly in the chest and everything went dark.

I landed in Evelyn's kitchen, staggering into the counter and almost knocking over the drying rack.

"What the-?" I asked, my heart racing only to cut myself off as I realized Evelyn wasn't with me.

"Ev?" I asked confused, looking around.

"Ev?" I repeated, hearing panic enter my voice this time as I continued to search.

What had happened? Where was she?

I scrambled, intending to search the other rooms in the house when suddenly, I heard a 'thump' in the dining room.

Not caring what I might meet, I ran into the room only to see Evelyn trying to support herself on the table. She was holding her side and looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"Evelyn, what the hell just happened?" I asked realizing she must have sent me to the house before coming back herself. I didn't even know she could do that.

I reached towards her but she flinched and backed away. Holding up a hand to keep me at a distance. It was the one she'd been holding herself with, and it was covered in blood.

I went cold.

"Don't." she said shaking her head, her voice tight with pain. "Poison."

It was then I saw the tears in her shirt and the sharp spines embedded in her side.

"No." I said feeling my eyes go wide with horror. This couldn't be happening.

The spikes were several inches long, and looked as if they had pierced pretty deep. They had to be from a manticore. This wasn't good.

"Relax Cass." She said through gritted teeth and only Evelyn could manage to sound exasperated with poison coursing through her system. "Not going to kill me."

I knew this. Well, a part of me did. But it didn't make me feel much better, and it was dwarfed by the terror rising within me at her expression. Manticore poison didn't kill demigods, not the tough ones anyways, but she was going to be in a lot of pain very soon. Even more than she was now. And I'd never seen her like this.

She tried to take a step but her knees buckled and I caught her. Ignoring her protests, I put her arm around my shoulders, careful to avoid the spines, and helped her to the couch where she collapsed and started to shudder. She was sweating now, and pale, pale even for her, and I knew it was only going to get worse.

I didn't know what to do, my brain was seizing up in panic. I simply stared at her, unable to process what I saw in front of me. I couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. Not to Evelyn. It just didn't make any sense. She killed monsters like this all the time. Why hadn't she destroyed it and gone on her way?

And then I remembered the movement she'd made just before the attack, the way she'd sworn. I'd seen her make that move a hundred times. It was an automatic process, one she reverted to anytime she sensed anything was amiss, no matter how small. She'd been reaching for her sword, but she hadn't had it on her. She hadn't grabbed it before we left and I'd been distracting her as we'd walked. She hadn't noticed it creeping up on us.

"Why didn't you come with me?" I asked terrified, taking her hand as she groaned and shuddered, this one more violent than the last. "Why did you send me back on my own? What were you thinking?"

What on Olympus had caused her to take that thing on without a weapon?

She didn't answer, I wasn't even sure she'd heard me. She'd doubled over now, curled into the fetal position, and looked as if she was going to be sick.

I didn't know what to do. I felt like my thoughts were both racing with and frozen in horror. Nothing was connecting, I was useless. All I could do was watch in fear and she was only getting worse.

She let out another groan, her hand crushing mine but I barely even registered the pain.

"Tell me what to do." I said desperately. "How can I help. Just-"

"Nick." She said through gritted teeth, and the word turned into a groan as her face twisted in pain.

"Your brother?"

She nodded, shutting her eyes, and while I didn't want to leave her like this, her whole body spasmed and I found myself tearing up the stairs, bursting through the door at the far end of the hall.

Thankfully, he was awake. Despite falling asleep early, he was now on a video call, sitting at a desk across the room, looking at a laptop.

"What the-" he started sounding angry, his head phones had fallen out as he turned in his computer chair, and I caught a glimpse of a pretty girl with dark hair on the screen before I glanced back at him.

The second he caught my expression, his changed. He seemed to immediately understand.

"Ev?" he asked looking scared and I nodded.

"Lil, I gotta go." He said quickly shutting the laptop and grabbing something from under the desk. He sprinted out of the room, shouting for Evelyn's mother to wake up.

He almost jumped down the stairs and found her immediately. Swearing like I'd never heard someone, even Evelyn herself, swear before. He knelt next to her, and I saw he was unzipping a bag. It was huge, full of different pockets and compartments and I realized it was a medical bag. One like an EMT would have. It must have been what he grabbed from under his desk.

"Evy, can you hear me?" he asked.

She nodded, but her eyes were still shut and this small effort seemed to be all she was capable of.

"What happened?" he snapped, inspecting the spines while pulling on a pair of gloves. The question was obviously for me, as was the one that followed it. "What the _hell_ are these things?"

He gingerly touched a spine only to recoil, tearing off the glove when it started to smoke, the poison eating through the rubber.

I didn't have time to answer before Evelyn's mother, ran into the room.

"Have you got it?" Nick asked looking up at her.

She nodded and I saw she was holding a plastic bag. Inside were squares of what I recognized to be ambrosia.

He nodded and started checking Evelyn's vitals, wincing every time she let out a cry of pain, but continuing to work. I noticed while they were both obviously upset, they seemed calm, as if they were following a procedure. Like they'd worked out a routine, for this. As if this wasn't the first time this had happened…

"She's got a fever, but her pulse is good." He said matter of factly. "Elevated but not dangerously so. I think she'll be ok." He grabbed a pair of tweezers from the bag and started to remove the spines. "God knows she's been worse."

He said this casually, but there was something dark behind his tone and I felt something close in around my chest. Worse? I looked at her, pale and shuddering, her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms as she tried to resist crying out in pain. How much worse had she been through?

I stood there feeling utterly useless, unable to do anything, to help. All I could do was watch feeling wretched, completely powerless.

Evelyn's mother was speaking softly, brushing Evelyn's hair from her forehead, trying to get her to take a second square of ambrosia. But it looked as if the pain was finally starting to win. She didn't seem to hear a thing her mother was saying.

"Ev, sweetie."

No response.

"Ev?"

Evelyn shuddered and suddenly, her body went limp.

"Shit." Nick swore leaning over her, shining a light into her eyes as he lifted one lid than another.

"What's wrong with her?" her mother asked as fear flooded my veins, freezing my blood.

"Unconscious." He muttered letting out a sigh, and I was surprised to see he sounded a little relieved. "Might be better at this point. She was obviously in pain. Might have been too much. At least this way she can recover."

He turned back to me his eyes narrowed. He looked tense, but not angry which, I'll be honest, I didn't expect.

"What happened?"

"I-I don't know." I said and it wasn't totally a lie. "I didn't see."

He let out an irritated noise, but after a deep breath seemed to let it go. Clearly, when it came to his sister, he was used to not getting the whole story. He glanced back at Evelyn and shook his head.

"When are you going to stop doing this Ev?" he mumbled then looked at her mother, who was still kneeling next to Evelyn. "She'll be ok. We should keep an eye on her over the next few hours, but I think the worst of it is over."

"Should we take her to a hospital?" I asked, glancing at Evelyn hearing the note of panic still in my tone.

"They won't be able to help." He said shaking his head. "They never could the times we have in the past. Not when it's something like this. They always say it's something they've never seen before. Only that stuff seems to do anything."

He gestured towards the bag of ambrosia that was resting on the table. It was obvious he had no clue what it was, but he didn't seem to care. I had the feeling as long as it helped her, he wasn't going to complicate things by asking questions.

"But she'll be ok, right?" I asked looking

"Yeah." He said sounding tired and rubbing his eyes. "I mean, I'm not a doctor, but her vitals were ok from what I could tell and Ev's tough. She's just going to have a rough night, or morning. Whenever she wakes up."

He rubbed his eyes again then ran his fingers through his hair. Evelyn's mother shot him a look of concern.

"Get some sleep." She said quietly before looking back at her daughter. "I can watch her for now."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be awake anyways." She said with a small and slightly self-deprecating smile. "You know how moms are. We worry about our kids even if we know they'll be alright. We can't help it."

There was something in her tone that caused him to look at her for a moment, and I suddenly remembered that Nick wasn't Evelyn's brother by blood. No matter how much they acted like actual siblings. Her mother had taken him in after the death of his own parents, and she seemed to love him just the same.

"Alright." He said eventually.

He glanced at Evelyn one final time before making his way out of the room and I heard him walking up the stairs.

"You should probably get some sleep too." She said glancing away from her daughter and up at me. "She might be out for a while."

I shook my head. I didn't want to sleep. I wouldn't be able to until Evelyn woke up and I was sure she'd be ok.

"Don't worry Cassian." She said looking back at Evelyn. "She'll be ok."

I didn't respond, not sure what I could say. Guilt flooded through me as I realized that this was my fault. She hadn't had her sword on her. She must have forgotten to grab it when she'd come to get me. I'd distracted her as we'd walked back. I was certain if she'd been on her own she would have noticed we were being followed, she might have even realized she was unarmed. But even worse, if she hadn't had been with me, she could have gotten away. In the seconds she'd spent ensuring my safety, she'd given up her chance to escape.

She could have died. Evelyn could have died, and it would have been all my fault.

"You're blaming yourself, aren't you?" Evelyn's mother asked quietly and I glanced at her.

She was frowning, giving me a look of concern and I was momentarily stunned when I realized I recognized her expression. It was the one Evelyn gave me when she was worried about me. Evelyn might have inherited many things from her father, but it was clear her deepest nature, the kind heart under all the layers of sarcasm and monster killing badass, came from her mother.

"She might have been able to get away." I said quietly, afraid to look at her as I admitted it. "If she hadn't protected me."

My eyes landed on Evelyn who hadn't moved. She still looked so pale and more guilt burned through me, making me feel sick.

I expected Evelyn's mother to be angry. To ask questions, demand to know exactly what happened and how I'd messed it all up, but she didn't. Instead, I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked at her, surprised to see that concerned, caring expression still on her face.

"Evelyn makes her own choices Cass." She said softly, and while her tone was reassuring, I could see a twinge of sadness in her eyes. "She always has and she always will. Despite what you or Nick might think, no one can _really_ make her do anything she doesn't want to do. Just ask her father." She grinned slightly at that and I couldn't help but return half a smile, thinking of how bullheaded she'd been when arguing with her father. "I don't know what happened, but what I do know, is if she saved you from something, it was because she wanted to. And there's nothing you could have done to convince her otherwise, even if you had been there."

"She can be pretty stubborn." I agreed and her mother let out a small laugh.

As if she could sense us talking about her, Evelyn shifted slightly in her sleep and frowned, huddling deeper into the cushions of the couch.

"She's moving. That's a good sign." Her mother said with approval and I saw some of the tension she'd been holding back release. She looked at me.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep?" she asked.

I shook my head and she glanced back at Evelyn before she stood.

"I'll be back in a second."

She exited the living room before coming back with a couple of blankets and her laptop.

"I started some coffee if you want any," she said draping a blanket over Evelyn and handing me one. "You might need it if you're planning to stay up all night."

"Sure," I said surprised by the offer. "Thanks."

She smiled and took a seat in an armchair in the corner, wrapping herself in a blanket of her own before she opened the laptop. It was obvious she was planning to get some work done since she was going to be awake anyways, and I found myself a little curious as to what she was writing as her fingers quickly darted over the keys. I'd taken a look at some of her notes and the books she'd been using earlier today when we'd first arrived. It seemed like interesting stuff.

I was about to ask what she was working on when a noise caught my attention. I looked back to see Evelyn had flinched, her expression upset.

"Ev?" I asked feeling my heart rate increase. "You ok?"

Without really meaning to, I put my hand over hers which was resting next to her on the cushions, only to realize she was still asleep. I wondered if she was having nightmares again, but the instant the thought had occurred to me, her expression relaxed and her fingers closed around mine.

A shock shot from my hand and went all the way up my arm, but I tried to brush it off.

'She's asleep.' I thought trying to control my heartrate. 'She's not aware of what she's doing. Don't get carried away.'

For all I knew she was dreaming about killing monsters and thought she was grabbing the hilt of her sword, not my hand.

"Cass?"

The tapping of the keys cut out as her mother stopped typing and I looked at Evelyn's face to see her eyes had opened slightly.

Her voice was weak and she looked groggy. As if she wasn't completely conscious yet.

"Hey." I said softly, relief flooding through me as I tried to keep my head on straight. I wanted to ask her a million questions, see if she was ok, but she looked kind of out of it and I knew an interrogation would probably make things worse. "You feeling alright?"

She didn't answer my question and I wasn't sure if it was because she wasn't entirely lucid or she didn't want to, but when I ran my thumb over the back of her hand, her fingers laced with mine.

"I'm glad you got to see the fireflies." She mumbled before closing her eyes, and falling back asleep, her hand still in mine.


	19. Chapter 19

Epov

 _I was alone._

 _I glanced from one side of the path to the other, straining to see through the shadows of the trees, convinced I was being watched. Monsters? Maybe, but I had a feeling if there were monsters lurking around here they would have attacked by now. Still, despite the lack of immediate danger, something about this place seemed ominous. I didn't like it. I wanted to get out of here as soon as I could._

 _I picked up my pace, determined to keep moving, continuing to look around me and over my shoulder, feeling more and more unsettled with each step I took. A breeze ran through the trees and I crossed my arms, hugging them to my chest. I told myself it was because I was cold, not because I was afraid. I shouldn't be. So far there was nothing to be afraid of._

 _I kept walking._

 _The trees were so dense, I wasn't sure if it was night or day, not that it really mattered. I tried to identify them, hoping it might provide a clue as to where I was even if I could only narrow it down to some sort of region, but I'd never been good at that sort of thing and quickly gave up._

 _All I could do was follow this path and see where it took me._

 _I didn't know how long I walked for, feeling like the trees were whispering to me as their leaves rustled and their branches swayed. Eventually, I saw a junction ahead where a second path merged into mine. My heart leapt as I saw that beyond it, the forest had started to lighten. I must be getting close to getting out of here. I started to jog, all too eager to leave this place and its shadows behind, and found myself running after just a few steps. I quickly skidded to a halt however, when I realized that someone was standing at the point where the two paths met._

 _He was tall and looked to be about my age. I felt a jolt of shock go through me when I realized he wasn't that far away. I was a little confused as to how it had taken me so long to spot him._

 _He must have heard me, because he turned and looked just as surprised as I was to find someone else here, but it didn't last long. Within seconds he was smiling at me._

 _"Hi." He said pleasantly. "I thought I was the only one in here."_

 _His smile was agreeable, but I was still wary._

 _"Me too." I said hesitantly. Something about this guy felt familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I didn't know who he was, but I could have sworn I'd seen him before._

 _"What are you doing here?" I asked feeling my eyes narrow. I didn't recognize his face. Something about it felt wrong, like the features I was looking at weren't right. But his eyes…_

 _"Same thing as you I expect." He said sounding a little amused now. He then gestured over his shoulder down the path where the light grew brighter. "Trying to get out of here."_

 _"Oh." I said, still uncertain why I felt like I knew him, but his rejoining smile only made the feeling stronger._

 _"Want company?" He asked, and something about his expression made me wonder if he could guess what was going through my mind._

 _"You don't have to." I said automatically, shaking my head. "I'm used to doing things on my own."_

 _"So am I." He said with a shrug. "Doesn't mean we can't walk together."_

 _I looked at the guy feeling uncertain. I didn't know who he was, but he didn't look like an ax murderer and I had to admit, things had seemed far less gloomy since I'd run into him. I thought for a moment, then put my hands in my pockets and continued walking without a word. I thought I heard him laugh a little, as if he thought my lack of response was endearing or something. Obviously taking my lack of protest as assent, he followed, easily catching up in a few strides, and walked along side me. I wasn't completely sure if I'd wanted to walk with the guy or not, but I didn't confront him. If he was an ax murderer I more than capable of dealing with it._

 _He didn't try to talk to me for which I was grateful. I didn't know what we'd talk about honestly. I had no idea how I'd gotten here or even where I was and I had the feeling he was in the same situation, but I wasn't uncomfortable. I quickly found it was nice to have someone to walk with, it made the place seem less threatening. The forest was growing lighter and I smiled as I saw an opening in the trees, I glanced up at the guy, trying to get a proper look at him in the light and nearly tripped in surprise. He looked completely different now. Nothing like the person I'd stumbled upon at the fork. He was, well, simply put, the most attractive person I'd ever seen and I was wondering if I was going crazy, if this was even the same guy, but he smiled when he noticed I was looking at him. It was the same smile, and he was looking at me with the same light green eyes._

I opened mine.

"What…?" I started confused, then shutting them as the sentence turned into a groan. My head throbbed as pain slowly crept up on me, no longer able to keep it at bay now that I was conscious.

The room was bright, too bright, it had to have been morning at this point, maybe later. I didn't remember a ton of what happened last night at the moment, all I knew was that I was not in my bed. I tried to piece things together, ignoring the dull ache that burned my body. I no longer felt like my organs had been set on fire and my blood replaced by battery acid, that I did remember from last night, but I felt as if someone had asked me to drill with the Ares campers after not moving for the last five years. My entire body hurt. Every muscle was sore. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

"Ev?" a voice asked softly and I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You ok?"

"Turn off the sun." I complained, rolling on to my stomach and burying my head into my arms.

"Hold on." The voice said and I registered that it belonged to Cass.

I heard him move through the room, then a rattling noise. I chanced a glance up to see I was on the couch in the living room, and he'd drawn the curtains. What little light they allowed was still painful to take in and I winced, but it was certainly an improvement.

"Better?" he asked sitting on the floor next to me as I slowly pushed myself off the couch. It hurt like hell, but eventually I managed to sit up and I saw he was looking at me cautiously.

"Gods," I muttered leaning forward, putting my head in my hands, feeling like I was going to be sick. "I feel like absolute crap."

I rubbed my eyes and looked up trying to focus. When I could I glanced at him. He looked tired and I realized he was in the same clothes that he'd worn yesterday.

"You look like crap. Did you stay up all night? What time is it?"

"Just a little before noon and I'm fine. My night was a cakewalk compared to yours." He handed me a glass of water that had been sitting on the coffee table and a couple pills of aspirin. "Think you can handle food?"

The thought had my stomach rolling and I shook my head before taking the aspirin, trying to ignore the wave nausea just the idea of eating had triggered.

I could feel his eyes on me but I put my head back in my hands, debating if it was possible to fall back asleep. Just as I thought I might try and go up the stairs to my room, I heard footsteps and a second voice said.

"Well hey there sunshine. Did sleeping beauty finally decide to wake up from her nap?"

It was Nick's, and it was loud.

"Could you be anymore obnoxious?" I groaned and he let out a laugh.

"Well maybe if you stop getting yourself almost killed, you might be able to tolerate me a little better."

I looked up to glower at him and he smirked.

"You doing ok Evy?" he asked and I knew despite the smirk, the question was sincere.

"Fine." I said, and it was mostly the truth. "Where's Mom?"

"Taking a nap. Some moron caused her to have a late night."

"I don't like you right now."

Another laugh.

"Yeah, yeah." He said dismissively, waving his hand as if he could brush my words away. "You say that all the time, drink this." He put a glass full of what looked like a green, very thick smoothie on the coffee table in front of me which I inspected suspiciously. "I know how you eat, you're going to have to give your body at least _some_ vitamins after last night."

"I'd rather gnaw off my own arm."

"Doctor's orders." He said with what I considered to be sadistic exuberance.

"You're not a doctor."

"Not _yet_." He replied with a smirk. "But once I get my degree I can finally get you committed."

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically flipping him the bird and he chuckled.

"Just drink it."

"If this makes me puke, I'm doing it in your room." I said as he rolled his eyes as he started to walk back towards the kitchen.

"You're such a drama queen."

"I mean it!"

"Love you too!" he called and I frowned, contemplating the smoothie.

"You want this?" I asked Cass, gesturing at the glass.

"You should probably drink it." he said. "He does have a point. Your body could probably use all the help recovering it can get."

"I am not drinking blended kale or any other 'superfood'" I put quotes around the word. "My brother decided to throw in there."

"It might help."

"Doubtful."

"It won't hurt Ev," he said gently. "Would you just drink it?"

I wanted to say no, but something about his expression had refusal dying before it had chance to come out. He looked both worried, and like he was trying not to look worried for my sake. So, with a sigh, knowing this was entirely for Cass's benefit and not mine, I picked up the glass and took a sip of what I was now convinced was just wet cement and green food coloring. It tasted like blended grass clippings and raw eggs.

"Gods," I said with a shudder. "That's revolting."

"It's what you get!" Nick's voice shouted from the kitchen. "Stop doing this crap and you won't have to drink it anymore!"

I rolled my eyes and took another sip, trying not to wince.

"Feeling any better?" Cass asked anxiously.

"Surprisingly, no." I said trying to minimize the sarcasm behind it. I knew he was concerned about me. I didn't have to give him an attitude for it.

A couple minutes passed as I sipped the 'smoothie' and neither of us seemed to know what to say, but eventually, it was Cass who broke the silence.

"Why'd you do it Ev?"

"Do what?" I asked setting the glass back on the coffee table, trying to ignore the stiffness in my muscles.

"Why'd you send me back without you?"

His voice was soft and he sounded upset. I didn't understand why. I mean the answer to his question was obvious.

"There was a manticore Cass." I said slowly.

"You could have come with me."

I shook my head.

"Couldn't risk it."

"What do you mean?"

"Cass, what do you think would have happened if it managed to follow us?"

Anything touching a person or an object shadow traveling had the chance of getting pulled through with it. If the monster had gotten ahold of me mid-travel, it would have ended up back in the house. The last thing I needed was a manticore rampaging around the kitchen. Then it wouldn't be just Cass I had to worry about.

"You didn't have a weapon." He pressed stubbornly and I shrugged.

"That would have been true if I was there or here." I pointed out.

"You were alone."

"Situation normal." I said pushing thoughts of my dream to the back of my mind.

"But-"

"Cass relax." I said cutting him off before he could argue further. "I'm fine."

"You shouldn't have done it." he said stubbornly and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why not?"

"It was too dangerous!" he said incredulously. "You shouldn't have tried to take that thing on on your own. You could have been killed."

"You're mad at me for taking on a monster?" I asked in disbelief and while he didn't admit to it, his expression was enough.

"Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief. "Cass, fighting monsters is kind of my thing. It's what I do."

"You didn't have to." he grumbled obstinately.

"Might I remind me that protecting you from monsters what you _asked_ me to come with you for. This is my job." I said a little incensed. "Keeping you safe. That's why I'm here."

He didn't respond to this for a few seconds, and I thought he was going to continue to argue, but eventually he sighed.

"I know, alright?" He said, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the wall. "It's just-" He cut himself off looking conflicted, and his expression shifted. He looked guilty. "I've heard all the stuff people say about going on missions with you." he continued eventually. "I've seen you wipe the floor with people like Broderick in the arena. I guess... I guess I just never really believed you could actually get hurt. Not like that anyways. Least of all because of me."

I thought about this for a moment. I mean, in a way he was kind of right. Usually, something like a manticore wouldn't have been a problem for me. I wasn't sure what had gotten into me last night. I always kept a weapon on me, and was so careful on missions. Usually I was paranoid about my surroundings, keeping an eye open for areas that monsters might be hiding or something manipulating 'The Mist'. I was even more careful on missions like this, where the person I was with wasn't a strong fighter. But maybe that was the problem. The more time I spent with Cass, the less this felt like a mission. I had gotten distracted. I'd made myself vulnerable, I'd made _both_ of us vulnerable. We'd been out in the open, in the dark, without weapons, in an area perfect for monsters to sneak up on us. How had I let that happen?

"I've been through worse." I said trying to alleviate his guilt. I knew Cass was beating himself up but he wasn't the one who went on missions. He didn't know what it was like being out in the open in a world surrounded by monsters that could attack at any time. He was trusting me to keep him safe, and I'd let my guard down. The truth was, this my fault.

"I don't want to put you through anything at all." He said in frustration, dragging me from my thoughts and calling my attention back to him. There was something behind his tone that startled me. An emotion I couldn't identify, but it felt significant and I didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to be the reason you get hurt," he said quietly and he wouldn't look at me. "Or worse."

"Nothing is going to happen Cass." I said trying to sound reassuring but he wasn't having it.

"It already did Ev." He muttered darkly.

"It's no big-"

"Don't tell me it's not a big deal," he said angrily. "I was there last night. I saw what you went through. If that had happened to me would you still be saying it wasn't a big deal?"

There was tense moment between us in which it felt like we were both irritated. I was pretty sure he was overreacting to the situation but it seemed as if he thought I wasn't reacting enough.

We continued to sit there in heated silence until I couldn't take it anymore.

"So what do you want then Cass?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow at him. "For me to be blame you? To be pissed and yell at you and tell you what happened was all your fault?"

"No." he muttered still looking annoyed.

"Because that doesn't help anything."

"I know."

"Then what do you want?"

Cass didn't seem like the type to sit and sulk about something. If anything, he'd just lash out, and I was wondering if I was about to get my first experience with his temper when he finally spoke.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

That caught me by surprise.

"What?" I asked dumbfounded, not entirely sure I'd heard him correctly.

"I want you to teach me how to fight." He repeated and I stared at him, my irritation filtering out of me only to be replaced with shock.

"Why?"

Since when did Cass care about that?

"You got hurt last night because you were protecting me. If I could hold my own against a monster, you wouldn't have to worry about that." His voice was matter of fact and he looked… serious. "I have a decent weapon now, I might as well learn how to use it right?"

"Well yeah, b-" I started, but he cut me off.

"And besides, it's something I should learn anyways. I can't live at camp forever and you won't always be around."

"I guess." I said softly and was surprised by how the words affected me.

Did I want to be?

"So I should probably start." He continued.

"Alright." I said with a shrug and he gave me an expectant look.

"What? Now?" I asked in surprise and he nodded.

"If you're up to it."

I hesitated, but then got to my feet, wincing as my muscles strained in protest but finding myself steady.

"Alright then Cass." I said a part of me wondering if I'd woken up in an alternate dimension. "If you're that determined…"

He stood and I saw him move reflexively as I took a step, reaching out, preparing to steady me if I needed it. I expected to feel annoyed about at this, but I didn't. I felt… well I didn't know what I felt. I didn't recognize it. But I had to force myself to look away when I realized I was staring at him. I suddenly found it was harder to breathe.

I shook my head, trying not to think about why that might be, only to find my breathing wasn't the only effected. Why was it so much harder to concentrate on something as simple as walking when I could feel his eyes on me?

Distracted, my shin hit the coffee table as I passed it and I swore.

'What is wrong with you?' I thought frustration.

"You ok?" Cass asked tentatively, clearly wondering the same thing. Hopefully he'd chalk the klutziness up to the after effects of being poisoned.

"Fine." I said trying to clear my thoughts.

'What does it matter if he's looking at you? It's never mattered before.'

I knew that wasn't entirely accurate but it was what I told myself. It felt like a lie, but my gut was telling me the lie would be a lot easier to deal with than anything else that might be going on.

Cpov

I ducked as a tennis ball nearly beaned me between the eyes and Evelyn laughed.

"You know Ev, I have to admit I feel a little silly doing this." I said straightening back up and looking in the grass around me that was littered with tennis balls. Some were sliced and split in half, but most of them were intact. "Is this how you learned?"

She'd been throwing tennis balls at me for the last thirty minutes, slowly increasing the speed and I was supposed to be trying to cut them out of the air with the sword she was letting me borrow. So far I wasn't doing that great. Most of them I'd either missed or they'd hit me, and was pretty sure I'd have a lot of bruises by the end of the night. I was also regretting my impatience to get started. By now it was early afternoon in the summer. It felt like my skin was about to melt.

"No." Evelyn said amused. "Unlike you fortunate demigods who don't have one of the Big Three as a father, I was a monster magnet long before I made it to camp. Then when I did get there, I had to learn pretty quick if I didn't want to get my ass kicked by people like Broderick who were trying to scare me away. But I could summon some monsters for you if you'd like?" she suggested sweetly. "Or take you back to camp and lock you in the Ares cabin?"

She gave me an innocent smile and I pretended to scowl at her. Unlike pretty much any other time I'd seen her, she wasn't in her usual dark clothes. She'd ditched the band t-shirts and skinny jeans for a tank top and shorts that was probably more appropriate for the weather, but wasn't doing wonders for my concentration. I don't think I'd ever seen her look more like a normal seventeen year old girl. Hell, she was even wearing flip-flops. I wouldn't have even guessed she owned a pair.

"Yeah, hard pass on that Ev." I said sarcastically and she shrugged.

"It was worth offering. You ready?"

"No." I said with a sigh, but holding up the sword anyways and she continued her throwing.

"You're thinking too much Cass." She said after a couple of minutes and I ducked another tennis ball.

"Thinking is a good thing. Hey!" I said as another tennis ball hit me before I could recover.

"If you have time to duck, you have time to use your weapon."

Another blow struck me and it was quickly followed by two more.

"Will you stop that?"

"I've got a whole two more buckets here." She said and I looked up to see her grin was evil. She was having far too much fun with this. "And none of these are going to end up sliced if you keep trying to calculate every one of your moves before they get to you. You have to rely on your instincts more Cass. If you think too much, you'll be dead before you can decide what move to make."

"I have to think Ev, I don't have any instincts. I haven't been doing this for years like you. I need to learn them."

"You can't learn instincts."

"Muscle memory is a thing you know." I countered and she let out an impatient noise.

"Drop the sword."

"What?"

"Drop it." she said gesturing to my hand.

"Ok, but why-"

The next thing I knew a neon green blur was flying at my face. I dropped the sword and caught it before could make contact and Evelyn grinned at me.

"See?" she said looking a little smug. "Instinct. You've got great reaction time, you just keep letting your brain slow it down."

"That's different." I said.

"How?" she asked frowning.

"I caught it, I can't catch a monster. Besides, I wasn't using a weapon. I'm know where my hand is, I know what to do with it. The same cannot be said for that thing."

I gestured towards the weapon in the grass next to me.

"It's not different." Evelyn said walking towards me, picking up the sword and placing it in my hand, covering it with her own. "You've got to stop thinking of the sword as a weapon separate from your body. Think of it as a part of you. You don't have to think about using your hand to block the tennis ball, you trust your instincts, start doing that but with the sword."

She guided my arm through a few motions and tried to take note of the movement, not the fact that she was so close to me or that her hand was still touching mine.

"Stop thinking Cass." She chided. "Pay attention to how it feels."

"Alright." I muttered quietly, trying valiantly just to do what I was told.

I didn't like not thinking. It hadn't taken me long to realize how out matched I was when it came to physical ability at camp so using my brain was almost exclusively how I operated in the world. Then again this was Evelyn's domain not mine, so in this case the smart thing to do was probably just to listen to her.

"Focus on moving." She instructed. "Directions that feel natural, where your movements are restricted and where you've got some room. The more comfortable you are with the weight of the blade and knowing where in your range of motion it starts becoming a strain, the faster you'll be able to figure out how you need to move to get the sword where you need it to go."

She let go of my hand and took a few steps back.

"Take a couple of swings." She said observing the motions as I complied with the request.

"Close your eyes." she suggested and when she caught my expression she explained. "It will help you focus. You know, cut off one sense and the rest become stronger. Your vision is only a distraction at the moment."

"If I close my eyes, are you going to throw something at me?" I asked and she laughed.

"I'm insulted you had to ask," she said with a playful grin. "Do you even know me?"

"Don't throw anything at me."

"I won't." she said easily but something about her smile made me feel like she was up to something.

"Promise?" I asked dubiously and she gave me an amused expression.

"Really?" she asked, but I gave her a pointed look and she relented.

"Alright, fine." She said rolling her eyes and putting her hand up in surrender. "I promise."

"You promise…?"

"I promise I won't throw anything at you."

"Alright then," I said giving her one last suspicious expression before closing my eyes.

"Keep moving." She encouraged and I felt a little silly, like an old lady doing tai chi in the park but I continued to do what she said figuring it would probably help.

"Hey Cass?"

"Yeah?" I asked opening my eyes only to see a glint of sunlight on dark metal.

I shouted in shock and without thinking, swung my sword to block the blow. There was a loud 'clang' as metal hit metal. Vibrations ran from the hilt all the way up my arm, there was another glint and the moment was over.

"Excellent." She said beaming at me as she shook her hand and then rubbed her wrist. "That was perfect Cass."

She still looked pleased as she retrieved her sword and I realized with surprise, that I'd manage to knock it out of her hand.

"You said you weren't going to do anything."

"No." She said her eyes glinting mischievously. "I said I wasn't going to _throw_ anything and I didn't. I never said anything about swinging a sword."

"You are such a cheater!" I said grinning at her in disbelief, hardly believing I was seeing this playful side of her personality. I had no idea it existed. And maybe, in a way it didn't, not at camp anyways.

"You are so going to pay for that."

"Right." She said sarcastically, looking far from concerned. "What are you going to do Pretty Boy? Corner me and teach me how to contour?"

"I'm going to burn your boots."

Her eyes went wide.

"What?"

"You heard me Goth Girl."

"You wouldn't dare." She said in what sounded like masked horror.

"Try me." I deadpanned and her eyes narrowed.

"There's no way you'd get to them before I would."

"Look around Ev." I said spanning my arms wide and she looked a little uncertain. "We're in an open space and there are no shadows for you to travel through." I smirked. "You'll have to race me on foot."

"Don't you dare." She said as I looked back in the direction of the house. "Cass, I'm warning you, if you so much as lay a finger on my-"

I took off and I heard her tearing after me, swearing in both English and Greek.

Evelyn might have in better shape than I was, but I was taller than her, and it wasn't like I was a couch potato. I was starting to feel pretty confident about my chances of making it back before her when I felt something slam into me from behind.

I lurched headlong into the ground tumbling a few feet before I realized what had happened.

"Did you just _tackle_ me?" I asked looking up only to see Evelyn had already scrambled back to her feet. She really did cheat.

"I don't think so." I said snatching her ankle as she started to run and she too went crashing to the ground.

"My boots didn't do anything to you!" she said trying to wriggle her way free and when that didn't work, she tried to kick me off. "Let me go!"

"Ev, wait a second, hold on." I said catching her other foot before it connected with my face. "I wasn't actually going to burn your boots. Calm down."

I let her go and pushed myself into a sitting position, rubbing the spot on my shoulder that had connected with her heel.

"Hades Ev, who knew you of all people would be this attached to a pair of shoes." I muttered.

"They're good shoes." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at me. "Never tear, never slip even when I have to run through water or monster blood."

"That and they just tie your whole look together so nicely." I said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"Look, I know you and your siblings have an issue with the way I dress-"

"I don't have an issue with it." I said with a shrug and an expression that clearly stated she didn't believe me.

"Really?" she asked sardonically.

"No." I said with a shrug and when she continued looked unconvinced I continued. "You can dress however you want Ev."

"Surprising coming from you." She muttered looking away.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked a little indignant and she glanced back at me.

"Need I remind you about sneakers dude?"

"Ok those things were just obnoxious." I said sourly. "They were garish and I bet you he paid over three hundred dollars for something that ugly, which is just stupid."

"So I can dress however I want, but he can't?" she asked with a frown.

She looked a little roughed up after her fall. Both her tank top and her cheek had dirt on them, and her ponytail was a little messed up. While in her usual clothes she'd probably look pretty terrifying, like she'd just killed the Hydra or something, right now it was kind of cute.

"It's different." I said realizing she must have kicked off her flip flops when she was running because I didn't see them anywhere around us.

"If you say so." She said with a shrug.

I thought about explaining my thought process, but I had a feeling she probably didn't care all that much about the intricacies of self-expression through a person's wardrobe choices. That and I wasn't completely sure I wasn't biased. I mean, Angela probably thought Evelyn's unironic band t-shirts were as inexcusable as the neon sneakers.

"Well," I said looking around. "Should we get back to it?"

"No." she said shaking her head. "It is getting way too hot to be outside. And besides, I can feel my sunscreen is wearing off."

"You put on sunscreen?" I asked a little amused.

"Yes." She said indignantly. "Unlike you I don't tan like a bronze god and I'm not trying to look like a lobster for the next week."

"A bronze god?" I asked as neutrally as possible but feeling the corner of my mouth twitch towards a smile. Where had that come from?

"Shut up Cass." She said getting to her feet and looking a little embarrassed, possibly wondering the same thing.

"Alright." I said easily, biting back a grin as she crossed her arms over her chest and started walking back to the house. Her cheeks looked a little pink, but I had a feeling it had nothing to do with the sun.

I caught up to her easily, and started a conversation about nothing during which she relaxed a little. Pretty soon she was laughing again and by the time we were walking up the gravel drive, I was giving her a piggy back ride. The excuse had been she'd lost her shoes and I didn't want her to hurt her feet and the fact that she'd agreed wasn't lost on me. I was sure after all the injuries she'd had and the nights like last night she'd been through, Evelyn was the sort of person who could walk barefoot on gravel without any problems. Even if she wasn't, she could have just as easily walked in the grass next to the drive. This seemed significant.

"Aren't you tired?" she asked resting her chin on my shoulder and tilting her head so she could look at me.

"I'm fine."

"You didn't get any sleep."

"I love how you're the one who got poisoned, and yet _I'm_ the one you're worried about."

I felt her shrug and I continued walking. When we reached the house, it was empty.

She called for her mother and Nick a few times, but there was no answer.

"They must have gone to the store." She said glancing out the front window.

"How can you tell?"

"They took her SUV not Nick's truck." She gestured to a beat up, light blue pickup that looked a few decades old and was sitting in front of the garage. "Better for groceries."

"Well," I said a little awkwardly. "Is there anything else you can teach me in here while we wait for it to cool off?"

"No." she said shaking her head. "You need some sleep."

"I'm fine,"

"I don't want to hear it." she said waving my words away. "My mom's going into work tomorrow and she'll probably be able to get at least a clue of what that medallion means which means were probably leaving soon. Get sleep while you can."

I wanted to protest but the expression she was giving me told me I wasn't going to win, and now that the adrenaline had worn off after this morning, and I'd been out in the heat, I was starting to realize just how tired I really was.

"Alright Ev," I said with a sigh. I was going to ask if she was going to be ok by herself but realized what a stupid question that was. To her this place was home, her mother and brother would probably be back soon anyways. "I'll see you later."

I felt her gaze follow me as I turned and walked up the stairs, feeling my brain both trying to fire at full force after making several realizations over the last few hours, as well as pull me down into sleep.

The latter won and almost immediately after my head hitting the pillow, I was out.

…

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but when I woke up I knew it must have been several hours because the light had shifted. It was no longer bright outside, the room was dimmer and if I had to guess what time it was, I would have said about seven. I glanced at my phone to confirm this when I saw I saw a notification on the screen. At first I thought it would be a text from Evelyn, but I was surprised when I realized the message was from Facebook. Curious, I picked up the phone and opened it.

A week ago, I would have been appalled with myself for downloading the app. For not deleting the profile the second I got the chance but I couldn't bring myself to care. Not when I saw what the notification said.

'Evelyn Blake has accepted your friend request.'

Yes. A week ago even the thought of the profile would have put me in a foul mood, but I was smiling as I put my phone back on the nightstand. I walked downstairs and found her in her living room with her family.

"Hey." She said glancing up at me and something about her expression caught my attention.

"Hey."

"Feeling any better?"

There was a noise from the TV and Nick swore.

"Focus Ev!" he said indignantly. "You just got my head blown off!"

They were sitting next to each other on the couch, playing a video game while their mother was reading in the armchair sitting in the corner of the room.

"Sorry." Evelyn muttered, but I noticed it took her a moment before she looked away and I could tell even after she'd gone back to the screen, she was having trouble concentrating on the game.

My smile grew as I took the only remaining seat next to Evelyn on the couch, taking care to gauge her response when I put my arm behind her along the top of cushion. She didn't say anything but she didn't move away either. A surge of hope flared through me and I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. That being said, my heart rate had increased. It might just be possible, that I had a shot with Evelyn after all.


	20. Chapter 20

Epov

When I woke up the next morning, something felt different. I sat up and rubbed my face not completely sure what it was, but absolutely certain something had changed. Puzzled, I looked out the window next to my bed and frowned. It was still summer and I was still at home. Everything looked the same. So why did I feel like this? And why couldn't I figure out what this was?

I stood and ran my fingers through my hair a little distracted as I got ready for the day, still trying to figure out what was going on. Nothing had changed. Not that I could tell anyways. Maybe it was me?

I glanced in the mirror hanging on my door and frowned. I looked exactly the same. I studied my reflection for a good thirty seconds before I gave up.

What was going on?

I shook my head, walked into the hall then down the stairs, all the time very aware my body was on hyper alert. My stomach was tight, and I was aware of my breathing. I didn't recognize the emotion, but it felt like the response I had to moving through the woods during a game of capture the flag, or the adrenaline rush in the moments leading up to a fight in the arena. The only word I could come up with was anticipation. Like I was waiting for something, nervous, but excited all the same, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it might be.

Still thinking, I wandered into the kitchen looking for breakfast. Something moved in my peripheral vision and I tensed, instinct taking over. Refusing to be caught off guard a second time, I sprung into attack mode and took the figure down without sparing a thought for what it might be.

"Jesus Ev," Nick groaned and I relaxed from my stance to see him on the floor rubbing the back of his head. "Did you take up martial arts since I've been at school or something?"

"What?" I asked confused, trying to calm my heart rate which had skyrocketed. "Oh. Sorry."

Judging by the carton on the floor and the box on the island, he'd been grabbing milk for a bowl of cereal when I'd walked in.

"You scared me."

"Yeah, I noticed." He said sourly, pushing himself off the floor into a sitting position.

I tried to tone down the battle reflexes around Nick, especially since I'd really learned to handle myself in a fight, but every once in a while I'd slip. Usually it was moments like this, when something startled me.

"You ok?" I asked guiltily as he rolled his shoulders and winced.

"Doesn't feel like anything's broken." He said gruffly then fixed me with an irritated look. "What's got you so agitated?"

I didn't get to answer however, because a second figure entered the room.

"Everything alright in here?" Cass asked cautiously.

He glanced at Nick, then at me and I felt my heart rate shoot right back up.

"Fine." I said automatically but it felt like a lie. Suddenly, it took a lot more effort to breathe.

"For you maybe." Nick said, using the handle of the freezer to pick himself up. "I might have to apply for disability."

"Don't be so dramatic." I said rolling my eyes, trying to get ahold of my emotions as I realized I was nervous. Why was I nervous?

"Easy for you to say." Nick muttered darkly. "You're not the one who ended up on the floor."

I glanced at Cass to see he was obviously trying not to grin as Nick hobbled to the counter.

"I swear Ev, sometimes I think you might be a super human."

Usually I would have said something sarcastic back, but my brain didn't seem to be working at the moment. Without meaning to, I glanced at Cass again to see he definitely looked amused.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side." He said playfully, his eyes meeting mine.

Nine times out of ten, I'd have a retort. Something witty or snarky, like 'Did you really need a reminder?' or point at Nick and say 'This was your warning.'

But I was distracted by his gaze and what actually came out was a lame.

"Uh, ok."

'What the...?' I thought in disbelief. 'That was _it_? That was the best you could come up with?'

What was wrong with me?

Nick obviously had the same question, because he looked at me like I'd just sprouted a second head and even Cass seemed surprised at the response.

"Well, that's settled then." Cass said clearly seeking to gloss over the awkward silence.

"Where's Mom?" I asked looking at Nick who continued to stare at me but eventually answered with.

"She went to work. She had a brain wave about that thing you wanted her to identify or whatever. Said she wanted to look something up."

"Oh." I said going through the motions of making some toast for breakfast more for something to do then because I was actually hungry. "Alright. What are you up to today?"

"Packing." He said. "My flight leaves in a few hours."

"You're leaving?" I asked disappointed, completely forgetting about the toast. "Already?"

"Yeah, I was only back for a few days."

I wasn't sure why I was upset about this. I hadn't known he was going to be here, and Cass and I weren't going to be here much longer anyways but still, I hadn't seen him much since he'd gone to school. He'd been too busy to come home and I couldn't really come up with a plausible excuse for how a normal seventeen-year-old girl could manage to cross the country in a matter of seconds and visit whenever he said he had free time. It felt like even though we'd both been home, we hadn't seen a lot of each other. Granted, part of that was my fault. I'd been avoiding him for a little while and then I'd been poisoned, but still…

He might have picked up on this because he didn't seem to want to look at me and I felt something close to anger shoot through me.

"Just to help Mom out, right?" I asked coolly.

"Yeah." He answered still avoiding my gaze.

I saw Cass's eyebrows shoot up, but he didn't contradict Nick, obviously deciding it wasn't his business. Real anger burned through me this time. Was he still not going to tell me the truth?

I felt the temperature in the room plummet and while Nick was a mortal, and he knew me too well to be afraid of me, he'd learned to pick up on the death aura over the years, even if he hadn't been aware of it. He knew I was upset, even if he didn't know why.

"Want to play some COD before I have to head out?" he asked and I knew he was extending an olive branch, he hated first person shooters. He was terrible at them.

"I can't." I said crossing my arms over my chest. "I promised Cass I'd help him with some stuff today."

Cass looked at me but I ignored him, still glaring at Nick.

"Stuff?" Nick asked frowning. "What stuff?"

"Just stuff." I said stubbornly. "Might be the kind of _stuff_ you came to help Mom out with."

The glare I gave him would have leveled anyone at camp, even Micah. But Nick didn't look afraid. He just looked a little guilty.

"Alright." He said quietly. "Well, maybe next time."

He looked away then walked out of the kitchen towards the stairs. I held on to my anger until I heard his steps creaking above us, then felt a little regret. I didn't know why I was so upset with Nick, but I wasn't helping matters by ruining what little time I was going to see him before he left. Still, I had promised Cass I'd help him with battle training, and I figured we might as well take advantage of down time while we had it.

Feeling conflicted, I turned back to the toaster knowing the bread would be cold by now, only to stop when I saw Cass in front of me. He was holding a spoon and a pint of ice cream in both hands.

"I had a feeling I'd find this in the freezer." He said and I couldn't help grinning a little.

"I'm guessing you don't want triple chocolate fudge?" I asked, taking the carton out of his hand.

"That depends. Are you first aid certified?"

"What like mouth to mouth?" I asked without thinking and then winced.

The corner of his lips quirked into a smile and he gave me an amused expression that clearly stated, 'you said it, not me.'

"Well, I was thinking more along the lines of administering an epipen, but if you insist..."

"Shut up Cass." I said snatching the spoon out of his hand and turning away, trying to ignore his smirk as my face burned.

'What the hell was that?' I thought acidly, chastising my brain and it responded by flashing a vivid memory of Cass kissing me in the graveyard.

I tried to escape into the dining room, but Cass followed me, taking the seat opposite mine at the table as he fixed me with an entertained expression.

"So," he said as he pulled the lid off his ice cream. He'd chosen strawberry. "What kind of _stuff_ did you want to do today?"

…

Two hours later, Cass and I were back in the field working on his battle reflexes. I didn't know exactly what the standard for the children of Aphrodite was, I didn't interact with them much at camp outside of Cass, and I'd never seen them in the arena, but I was surprised at how quickly he seemed to be picking things up.

"Keep your center of gravity low." I said hooking my foot around his ankle, but catching him by his shirt before he fell, smirking at his shocked expression. "Otherwise that happens."

"Noted." He said with a nervous swallow, glancing down at my blade which was resting against his throat.

I let him go and put my dagger back in my belt.

"Relax Cass." I teased. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Easy for you to say." He said but he was grinning. "You're the one with the dagger."

"You have a sword." I pointed out gesturing towards Smarágdi which was laying in the grass three feet away.

"Correction, I _had_ a sword." He said retrieving it. "And unlike you, I don't know what I'm doing. Isn't that why you're using that thing?" he nodded to the dagger. "To make things easier on me?"

"Maybe." I said with a shrug. "Or maybe I want to work on my skills with close range weapons."

"Thanks, but you don't need to protect my feelings." He said with a slight smile. "My masculinity is not so frail that I can't admit I know when a girl can kick my ass."

I smiled and was surprised to realize it was genuine, not smug. Usually when beat a guy in the arena, I felt I'd earned the right to feel a little cocky, typically because it was one of the Ares brothers, and they'd been talking a big game beforehand. I had to admit, a small part of me enjoyed shutting Broderick down every time he thought he could take me one on one. But Cass wasn't like that. He didn't pretend to know what he was doing, or questioned anything I told him. He wanted to learn from me, which meant he knew I was better than him at fighting and far from having a problem with that, he respected it. I was starting to realize that was something I really liked that about him.

Even before he'd gotten to know me Cass had always treated me with respect, which is something that couldn't be said for most of the people at camp. They might have learned not to mess with me, but that was mostly out of fear of what I could do to them if they did. But Cass wasn't afraid of me, I believed it now, and he didn't seem to respect a lot of people. Part of me wanted to ask him why I of all people had made the cut.

"You're actually doing quite well. And I'm not just saying that." I added when I saw his expression of doubt. "A few days in the arena and you might not need me to venture into the mortal world."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't ask." He murmured, but he grinned and I knew I was supposed to hear it.

"You are such a flirt." I said rolling my eyes.

"Can't help it." he said with an innocent expression I didn't buy for a second. "It's in my nature." He then smirked. "Strangely, I get the feeling you don't really mind."

"I do mind actually." I said but it was a lie and we both knew it.

I found this was another thing about Cass that I liked. I used to find Cass's comments irritating, mostly because they made me uncomfortable, but I was starting to think that maybe he actually meant the things that he said.

If someone had told me that a week ago, I would have told them they were crazy and Cass was just a flirt, but lately…

"Then you have my sincerest apologies." He continued in feigned regret. "But I'm sorry to inform you that you're just going to have to live with it."

Before these last few days, I was sure that when he'd said I was pretty, it was because he wanted something from me. Now, I was starting to think he really did believe it.

Was it wrong to enjoy it if he did?

I figured it wasn't. Not as long as I remembered this was Cass. He flirted with everyone, and when we lifted the curse, we'd go back to camp and things would go back to the way they were. He'd go back to dating pretty girls and I'd go back to, well, doing whatever I was doing before all this craziness had started.

I felt a shock go through me as for the first time, I realized what that meant. After this mission, we probably weren't going to have time like this together anymore. I was surprised to feel something like disappointment go through me.

'That was the plan, wasn't it?' I thought feeling confused. 'Putting things back to normal? Setting things right?'

So what about it was bothering me? And more importantly, why did I care?

Something about my expression must have changed because suddenly, he wasn't smiling anymore.

"Something wrong?" he asked sounding worried.

"No." I said shaking my head and looking away from him. I shouldn't be upset about this. I mean, it's not like it was that big of a deal if we didn't hang out anymore. That was the way things worked at camp, how they'd always been.

"Are you sure?" he pressed walking after me as I took a step away from him. "Because I'm just messing with you Ev, if it really bothers you I'll stop."

"No." I said so quickly he looked startled. "No, I just…"

But I let my sentence die, not really sure where I was going to go with it, and look he gave me was somehow both methodical and concerned.

"You're conflicted about something," He said quietly and I realized what he was doing.

"Stop analyzing my emotions, Cass." I said irritated.

"Then reign them in." He said. "Usually I've got no clue what's going on in your head but right now it's like they're shouting at me."

"What are they saying?" I asked wondering if he might be able to give me some answers.

"I'm not quite sure." His brow furrowed in concentration as he studied me. "I'll admit it's weird getting anything from you at all." He took a step closer to me, his expression unchanged, as if he was unaware of doing so. "Usually you keep stuff pretty locked up in here." He tapped my temple with his index finger and I realized just how close he was standing. "But maybe that's not where this is coming from."

His words were soft and it felt like they were more to himself than me, but they felt significant and my heart skipped a beat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked turning away from him trying to snap out of whatever was going on and lock it all up again.

Immediately after I said the words, I wished I hadn't. Something told me I didn't want to know.

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling my shoulders tense under the weight of his gaze. It made me uncomfortable. I wanted to tell him not to stare at me, but was afraid to acknowledge it. Drawing attention to it might start the conversation again, and I was afraid of what I would hear.

"We should get back to work." I said unsheathing my dagger, trying to change the topic. "Focus on your form. I won't be able to knock you over as easily if you widen your stance."

I glanced back at him, half expecting him to press the issue. He didn't and I felt like a coward. That being said, I didn't bring it back up.

We continued to work for another hour before heading back to the house. As I walked through the front door, I noticed a suitcase by the stairs and felt a twinge of irritation go through me.

Cass must have noticed, because he asked.

"You going to talk to him?"

"No." I said stubbornly and he raised an eyebrow. "He's the one not telling me everything. If he wants to talk he can come to me."

"You know one could argue that you don't tell him everything."

"I told him why I was home."

"Yeah, but you can't expect him to believe the truth."

"That's not my fault." I protested. "I can't help it if he doesn't believe me."

"I'm not saying it is." Cass agreed raising his hands in surrender. "But you can't expect him to think keeping his business to himself is that big a deal when he thinks that's what you do with yours. Besides, it's obvious your ambivalent about his girlfriend at best."

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Maybe he thought the news might not well received." Cass continued tentatively.

"What like I wouldn't be happy for him?" I asked.

He didn't respond and for some reason, I felt defensive.

"He's my brother." I said indignantly. "Of course, I'd be happy for him."

"You don't seem that happy for him." Cass pointed out. "It sounds like you haven't bothered to get to know the girl at all."

"Well if he'd told me I would have been. And that's not my fault." I said sourly. "She's all the way in Seattle, besides Nick never seriously dated anyone. Girls never stuck around that long. How was I supposed to know he actually liked this one?"

Part of me wondered if I was partially to blame, not that I was going to admit that to Cass. I'd never really gotten along with any of the girls he'd dated, and I knew Nick wouldn't put up with someone who didn't like his little sister. But it wasn't my fault he picked terrible people. That was on him.

"Can I float a theory here Ev?" he asked carefully and I shot him a suspicious look.

"What?"

"Ever think the reason you don't get along with the girls your brother dates, is because you're jealous?" he asked his tone controlled but convinced all the same.

I stared at him.

"What?" I asked indignantly. "Cass, don't be gross. I don't want to date my brother."

I didn't care if I wasn't actually related Nick. I'd grown up with him. The idea of having any relationship with him other than a platonic one just felt wrong, unnatural even.

"I don't mean that way." He said shaking his head. "But you're close with your brother, and you're…" he hesitated before continuing with. " _Protective_ , of the people you care about. And he was probably the first person besides your mom that you really cared about, who didn't treat you like you were different?"

This last part was a question, but he was right. Nick was the first person besides my mother who accepted me, even when we were younger, before his parents had passed. I was pretty sure he was the only mortal who wasn't automatically afraid of me, if you didn't count my mom. The first person who loved and accepted me that didn't have to.

"I can understand if you wouldn't want anything to mess that up." He said softly.

I wanted to argue with him, but when I tried to respond, nothing came out.

"You can't know that." I said eventually, trying to dodge the topic. Maybe all the girls Nick had dated in the past had just sucked.

"You did the same thing when Micah and his girlfriend started dating." Cass continued and I frowned. "And you actually like her."

"I did not." I said stubbornly.

"You disappeared from camp for three weeks after they started dating. And you didn't talk to them for days after you got back."

"I was in the infirmary." I reminded him.

"You talked to me."

"Yeah, because you wouldn't leave me alone." I said irritated. The Ares campers had wanted to trade for a war chariot the Hypnos cabin had recovered on a quest. I'd been healing my injuries from a run in Lycaon, and Cass had pestered me every day until he finally annoyed me into orchestrating the deal. "And that had nothing to do with them dating."

"Really?" he asked in obvious disbelief and I glared at him.

"Yeah actually."

I'd left camp to test my abilities against some of the legendary monsters.

"Because if I remember correctly, you stormed off the day after they went to the fireworks together, and no one heard from you for over a week."

"That had nothing to do with Maya." I said quietly.

I'd gotten into argument with Micah that day. It was the only fight we'd ever had, and it was over something stupid.

"You sure?" he asked delicately.

"Yes." I snapped, but he didn't look like he believed me and I felt anger surge through me. "How do you remember this anyways? And why does it matter to you?"

Thinking back, Cass had been pretty nosey about the subject when he'd come to talk to me in the infirmary back then too.

"I remember because I was trying to figure you out." He said and his honest caught me off guard. "It was the first time I really talked to you at any sort of length because you couldn't run off when you got uncomfortable."

"Figure me out?" I asked raising an eyebrow. I didn't think I was that complicated.

"Yeah." He said with a slight smile. "You intrigued me. I'd never met someone who'd rather tangle with werewolves than deal with her emotions before. And if I remember correctly, you didn't even know why you'd gotten so angry over a pen."

I thought back to my time in the infirmary after I'd finally broken down and gone back to camp. I'd actually talked to Cass quite a lot, and he'd asked why I left. The argument really had been stupid. Micah asked if I could return a pen he'd let me use, that it was Maya's and she'd wanted it back. Something about erasable ink. I insisted I'd already given it back, and an hour later, I was in Tibet on the trail of the Nemean Lion.

"Think there might have been a different reason you were that upset?" He asked his tone gentle, but the look he gave me was significant and I felt myself getting defensive again.

"Well so what if I was upset?" I asked. "We always used to go to the fireworks together. We were the only Underworld campers for two years before the others came to camp. Then he just ditched me. I'm not allowed to be upset?"

I'd been alone at camp before Micah had turned up. He'd been my first real friend. It had been us vs. pretty much everyone else, something he hadn't forgotten. Before I'd really started to grow into my abilities, things had been pretty rough for us. I had a feeling it was why it was so much harder for him to let go of the hostility he'd developed for the Olympian campers than the others. He'd been there at the worst. Then again, so had I, but I'd known Cass. Only now was I starting to see just how much of a difference that made, knowing one of them saw me as something other than a freak. Who actually kind of liked me. Maybe even more than kind of.

"I'm not saying either of you are right or wrong." Cass said in an appeasing tone and I frowned. "I'm just saying I don't think that situation was as cut and dry as you seem to think it was. And maybe," he continued, cutting off my response before it could come out. "Something similar is happening with your brother. You sort of freaked out when two of your friends started dating because you were afraid of getting cut out of their lives. You don't even know the girl your brother is dating. He might not be so eager to tell you something he thinks you don't want to hear."

My first thought was to argue the point, but I had a feeling this wasn't a fight I was going to win and after thinking about it, I decided Cass might have a point.

"Nick wouldn't cut me out of his life just because of a girl." I said. "No matter how much he likes her."

"Yeah, now you just need to get you to believe that."

I didn't know what to say to this, and several moments passed in silence before I couldn't take it anymore.

"You know I can't stand it when you do this." I said in frustration and he looked surprised.

"Do what?"

"Make things harder than they have to be."

"You're the one who has the issue here, not me." He pointed out. "I'm just trying to help you solve it."

"Well you didn't solve it," I said flatly. "You just made it more complicated. Why can't you just let things stay simple for once? Why do you always have to make me over think everything?"

At this he frowned.

"Life's not simple Ev." He said quietly. "It's complicated. So are people. Do you really want to keep running around, chasing after monsters hoping you can avoid it?"

"It's easier that way."

"Maybe, but is that really what you want?" he asked and I was surprised at the flare of anger that went through me.

"What I want?" I asked incredulously. "When has whatever I wanted mattered? I _wanted_ to be normal growing up. I _wanted_ to have friends. I _wanted_ to be able to go to the one place in the world where someone like me could be safe, and feel like I belong there. But do you know what happened when I got to camp?" I asked bitterly. "I was a pariah, a freak. Most campers train in the arena so they can cross pths with monsters in the mortal world and live. I had to train so I wouldn't get beaten up by the Ares brothers who were trying to force me to leave. Do you think I like going on missions knowing people are going to ditch me the second they think it's safe to leave? Do you think I want to be the bad guy, forced to deal with people like Broderick and Vivian or even your sister when at this point, all me and my friends want is just to not be hated for existing? Since when has anyone given a damn about what I wanted?"

I was surprised to find I was almost shouting now, and my hands had curled into fists.

I wasn't sure why I was so angry, none of this was Cass's fault. I'd known this was how it was for years. I thought I was over it.

We were still in the hallway, and I figured Nick must have had his headphones on or something, otherwise he would have heard me shout and come to see why I was so upset.

I couldn't read Cass's expression but his gaze was intense.

"And what is it that you want Ev?" he asked and the question surprised me, especially when I realized, he'd asked before.

 _'Is that all you want to be?'_

He'd said it that night we'd run into each other on the beach. It felt like it was years ago at this point. That night I'd wanted to know what it would be like to go out in the water, he'd convinced me to try. To do something a daughter of Hades probably shouldn't have done, but I had loved.

Cass had always been concerned with what I wanted. He knew I wanted to keep the peace between the two factions in the camp. When people like Broderick and Micah went looking for a fight, Cass had been the one to help me keep things calm. He might have used it to his advantage some times, but at least he'd bothered to figure it out.

That day Micah's brother had been attacked by the Athenian campers, Cass had already gotten what he needed from me, but he'd still convinced Mandy to give up the weapon they were fighting over. Just to help me out.

 _'Did you ever think it might be better for Evelyn if she didn't have to scare off all your problems?'_

Cass had always cared about wanted. Not just that, he'd always cared about me and not just as the daughter of Hades, but as Evelyn. And if someone had asked me that question a few days ago, before we'd left camp, I wasn't sure I'd have an answer, mostly because I wouldn't have thought about it. What I wanted had never mattered before, but now…

Now I had more answers than I knew how to handle.

I wanted more time with him. I didn't want this mission to end. I knew once we lifted the curse and we went back to camp, it was the end of whatever had been going on over the last few days.

I wanted things to be different when we got back. I wanted things to stay like they were between Cass and I like they were now. I wanted my friends not to hate him, and for his friends not to hate me. To make fun of him for being a secret nerd, because he was totally a nerd, and to laugh at his grumpy comments or our sarcastic conversations. I just… I wanted to keep spending time with him.

I wanted him.

The realization was sudden and had my stomach dropping through the floor. I'd looked away from him while I'd been thinking, but my eyes darted to his and I was terrified that he knew. That he could read my mind, or see it on my face.

I looked away feeling like I'd fallen into a nightmare. This couldn't be happening. Girls didn't have Cass, not really. That was kind of his thing. Even if he was dating someone he was never completely theirs. I knew this about him, I'd known it since the day I'd we met and yet… it didn't seem to matter.

Somehow over the past few weeks he'd gone from an acquaintance, to someone I cared about. That I was, as he put it, protective of. Someone I wanted to be more than just a friend.

I didn't know what to do. Was I supposed to say something, or should I keep my mouth shut and hope it passes? That seemed like the best idea, but deep down, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be that simple. I didn't know a lot about this sort of thing, but this didn't feel like something that would just go away.

My heart was starting to pound. His eyes were still on me and I had no idea what to say. My chest was getting tighter, and it was harder to breathe.

"Ev?" he asked quietly and I looked up at him, terrified. "Are you ok?"

I tried to respond, but before I could even attempt to find words, the door swung open. My mother clambered through the frame, her arms stuffed with papers and files, and her hair a little disheveled, but she was beaming as her eyes landed on me.

"I've found it." she said brightly, dropping the papers on the table by the door.

"What?" I asked a little confused, but she pulled the medallion out of her purse, and held it up, still smiling.

"I know who you need to talk to."

"Who?" Cass and I asked in unison.

"Hecate." She said triumphantly. "And I know exactly how you can find her."


	21. Chapter 21

Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last updated. I had some health issues that completely derailed my writing, but I finally managed to finish the chapter. Hope you like it!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

"For the record." Evelyn said, scowling at a man that had jostled her as we navigated the crowd of people that surrounded us. "I am very uncomfortable right now."

"I can see that." I muttered.

Despite the fact that it was the middle of summer, and it was early afternoon on a cloudless day, she was wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up. Headphones trailed from under it, but I knew she was only pretending to listen to music. Her eyes continually scanned the room and I could tell by the way she was walking she was on high alert, looking for any signs of trouble.

"But you're going to have to put up with it for a little while." I continued quietly, grabbing her book bag so we wouldn't be separated as a line of tourists pushed their way to the next exhibit.

"I just don't understand why we can't come back later, when the Museum is empty." She said agitated, glancing over her shoulder. "I hate being around this many people. I can't see anything."

We were currently walking among the hundreds of people touring the Museo Chiaramonti. While this wasn't my first time in the Vatican, it was my first time at the museum. Surrounding us were dozens of beautifully crafted statues dating as far back as the bronze age and while normally this sort of excursion would have been right up my alley, I couldn't have been less interested in the art. I had more pressing things on my mind, primarily the glowering girl next to me, and what was going through hers.

"Relax Ev." I assured her. "It'll be fine. And I doubt you want to be stumbling around this place after hours. It'll be dark and crawling with security."

"Neither of those things are an issue for me." She pointed out sounding a little annoyed.

"Well I still think we should be trying to get this done as fast as possible. It'll be a lot harder to talk our way out of trouble if we get caught here after the museum is closed. The more people that are here the less likely it is that we'll be noticed. At worst, they'll think we're idiot tourists. Not terrible art thieves."

"If you say so." She mumbled, but the look she gave me was unconvinced and I knew she wanted to get out of here.

She'd been tense from the moment we'd stepped out of the shadows and into the museum, and while I had an idea of what was bothering her, I wasn't sure what to do about it. While my ability to read her emotions was frustratingly limited, no self-respecting member of cabin 10 would have missed the shift in them during our conversation a few hours ago. Something had happened, and I was pretty sure I knew what, but if I was right, I wasn't sure if Evelyn or I was more surprised by it.

These thoughts continued to preoccupy me as we waited to get into the next room.

Even if she did feel something for me, that didn't mean she'd be ready or willing to do anything about it. It was more than likely she'd just want to ignore it and hope it went away. But I didn't want that. I just wasn't sure where I was supposed to go from here. Usually in this situation I'd flirt with a girl, ask her out, get bored and move on, but with Evelyn that option was off the table. She didn't work that way and, though it was still a bit of a shock to realize this, that wasn't what I wanted. But I couldn't do nothing, and trying to figure out where to go was taking up a lot of my mental space.

'Focus man.' I thought as I almost walked into a couple trying to take a selfie by one of the exhibits. 'You're supposed to be on a mission right now. This can wait.'

But I wasn't entirely sure if it could. I didn't know if saying something would freak her out or keep her from running from the problem.

I shook my head, hoping she wouldn't notice. I needed to keep my wits about me. We were in the mortal world looking for a goddess surrounded by Gods know what, but it didn't seem to matter. Maybe it was because I was a child of Aphrodite, or maybe this was how everyone got when they fell for someone, either way the mission was the farthest thing from my mind. Was it stupid? Yeah. But did I care?

I glanced at Evelyn only to see she'd been looking at me. She quickly looked away and I saw her cheeks flush.

I couldn't completely hide my smile in response.

Not at all.

We stepped into a large room with high ceilings and marble statues lining the walls. Immediately her gaze darted across the room and I saw a guard glance in our direction. I put my arm around her shoulders and turned so our backs were facing him, steering her away.

"You need to cool it on the hyper vigilance." I said quietly, leaning closer to her so as not to be overheard and her heartrate shot up. "You look like you're casing the joint."

"Easy for you to say." She muttered darkly refusing to make eye contact. "Have you considered the fact this crowd could be full of monsters? We're nowhere near an exit and I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly thrilled about the prospect of a round two with the Manticore. Especially around all these mortals."

I knew she was wanted me to think her unease stemmed from our location, not the conversation we'd been having before her mother had shown up, and I was willing to let her have that for now, but she needed to calm down. Her anxiety was starting to attract attention. Shadows grew darker and stretched towards her as we passed them and I could feel the temperature around us start to decrease.

The couple looking at the bust next to us gave her a nervous glance before taking a few steps away, obviously picking up on her mood and reacting on instinct. She must have noticed because she shoved her hands in her pockets and her scowl returned, but she didn't look angry. She looked upset. Her shoulders hunched in an automatic motion, as if to arm herself against their discomfort and more people glanced in our direction before shifting away. The Death Aura was in full effect and suddenly, in this building crammed full of people, we were the only two with any sort of space.

This wasn't good. I had to get her to relax or we were definitely going to be on the museum's security's radar.

"Looks kind of like Broderick don't you think?" I said nodding a few feet down the line to a statue of a grotesque, but vaguely humanoid monster.

She glanced in the direction I'd indicated and let out a surprise laugh.

"Nah," she said grinning and I felt the aura that had been hanging around her like a dark cloud start to slip away. "Too good looking."

"True." I said with a smirk and we kept walking.

With the museum as packed as it was, it took us another thirty minutes to find what we were looking for, then another ten to get close enough to the statue.

"It's smaller than I thought it would be." She said looking at the marble with a frown. In front of us was three figures of the same woman, standing with their backs to each other and staring out over the crowd.

"That's what you find weird about this?" I asked raising an eyebrow at her. "There's three faces."

"She's still taller than that." Evelyn said with a shrug, apparently unfazed. "Besides, it's not like multiple faces is uncommon in our world. Just look at Cer Bear."

"Point taken." I said, still a little amused at the nickname she'd given her father's monstrous guard dog. I looked over my shoulder at the nearest guard. "That guy's pretty big, you sure you're going to be ok?"

"Please," she said interlinking her fingers and stretching her arms in front of her so her knuckles cracked. "I could do this in my sleep."

"Someone's a little full of herself." I teased and she rolled her eyes.

"Just get to work Cass."

"Alright bossy, jeez."

At this she smirked.

"Don't pretend you don't love it."

She reached into her book bag and after rummaging for a few seconds, withdrew her hand and handed me the medallion.

I took it, then after a last look over my shoulder, I ducked under the chain separating us from the statue.

"HEY!" a voice shouted furiously and I couldn't help it, I glanced back to see the security guard I'd spotted earlier pushing people out of his way as he ran towards us.

He tried to shove Evelyn out of the way, ignoring her to get to me who he apparently thought was the threat. Poor guy.

Faster than he could react, she grabbed his shoulder, kicked out his knee, and put him in a sleeper hold.

"Get moving." She said nodding towards the statue as shouts broke out over the crowd.

Already people were clearing a path for more guards and pulling out their phones, trying to record the commotion. I hopped onto the platform on which the statue was standing and placed the medallion around one of the heads.

There was a 'thud' and I looked back to see the guard had hit the floor, unconscious, but the others had almost reached Evelyn.

She looked ready to take them on, but before any moves could be made, there was a deep rumbling as the platform under me started to shake.

I turned back to the statue to see it was glowing silver. Suddenly, there was a flash, and not for the first time in the past few days, I found myself transported to a place with which I was completely unfamiliar.

Evelyn staggered into me and I caught her arm, holding her steady.

"You alright?" I asked as she found her feet.

"Yeah." She said sounding a little surprised. "Just caught off guard."

She rubbed her head and looked around, clearly trying to marshal her thoughts.

We were standing at the intersection of two dirt roads, surrounded by nothing but grass as far as the eye could see and the sun was just starting to set. A string of wooden utility poles carried a powerline along one of the roads, but there were no signs or buildings to give us any sort of indication as to where we might be.

"Jeez, this is disorienting." She said turning as she searched the area. "Is this what it feels like to shadow travel when you're not ready? Where are we?"

But before I could say anything, someone else did.

"Evelyn!" a voice said cheerfully and we jumped. I spun to see a tall woman with chin length dark hair, tan skin, and a bright smile looking at Evelyn with excitement. She looked to be in her thirties with a black pantsuit and lethal looking stilettos, but her light brown eyes were warm and her smile was wide. "It's good to see you again dear."

Evelyn waved a little awkwardly, but the woman let out a laugh.

"Gods you are _just_ like your father." She said amused. "Is that how you greet me after all this time? Come here girl."

And without waiting for a response, she threw her arms wide and pulled Evelyn into a hug.

Evelyn went stiff for a second, but allowed the embrace to continue as she said.

"Hey Auntie H."

"You two know each other?" I asked Evelyn, who was still being crushed by the excitable goddess, a little surprised by Hecate's enthusiasm. Everything I'd ever heard about her was that she preferred solitude.

Then again, Micah was Evelyn's best friend, and if the stories were to be believed, Hecate was close with Evelyn's father and Persephone.

"Of course." Hecate said loosening her grip but continuing to hold Evelyn by the shoulders as she beamed at her. "I've been baby-sitting this one since she was old enough to crawl around the palace. Even before she met my Micah. The number of times I caught her riding Cerberus around the fields of Asphodel when her father wasn't watching…"

Her tone was disapproving, but her smile was fond, and Evelyn looked mortified.

"He didn't talk to me for months after that summer you nearly fell into the Styx. But I don't know what he was so worried about." She said airily. "How old were you?"

"Six." Evelyn said and Hecate waved it away.

"You're tough." She said dismissively. "I'm sure you would have been fine."

"She can't swim." I said indignantly, wondering how on earth Evelyn made it past childhood if this was one of her babysitters.

Hecate's smile faded and her eyes narrowed as for the first time since her appearance, she gave me her full attention.

"And what would you know about it?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Who are you anyway?"

From her expression and her tone, she might as well have added 'outsider' to the end of her sentence. It was clear to me she knew I wasn't related to the Underworld and didn't trust me because of it.

"This is my friend Cassian." Evelyn explained, extricating herself from Hecate's grip and gesturing to me.

"Cassian?" she asked, her brow furrowing as if the name was familiar to her. "The son of Aphrodite?"

"Yeah." I said a little surprised. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are." She said dismissively. "I'm the one responsible for your curse."

Epov

I stared at Hecate in complete shock as she looked between Cass and I, apparently just as confused as we were.

" _You_ cursed Cass?" I asked furiously, anger catching within me like butane thrown on open flame.

"Of course." She said as if this should have been obvious and I continued to look at her, unable to find words. "And I must say I've out done myself." She said inspecting Cass with an analytical expression. "He looks nothing like he used to, it hasn't worn off. Who else do you think could to pull this off?"

"But _why_ did you curse him?" I asked and she shrugged.

"Why do I curse anyone I curse? Because I was asked. I don't bother with the hows and whys, you know that." She frowned. "But what do you mean friend?" She gestured between Cass and I. "Micah never said anything about you hanging out with one of them."

Cass raised an eyebrow, apparently a little offended at her remark and I had to admit, it was a little strange hearing someone say that about an Olympian camper and not one of the Underworld kids.

"I, uh," I started, realizing as I tried to explain my relationship with Cass, I wasn't really sure I knew how. We were friends, but our friends weren't friends. And yet, somehow it seemed like it was more than that. We weren't just acquaintances, but were we close? Or did it only feel that way because we were spending a lot of time together recently? And what happened when we got back to camp? Was all of this over?

Cass, obviously realizing I was drowning in my response, stepped in.

"Our relationship exists outside the social circles at camp." He said smoothly, and I had to admit, I was impressed by his ability to keep his head while facing a Goddess who clearly did not like him. "I wouldn't expect Micah to think much about it if he does at all. But we've been friends for a while."

I pictured Micah's expression as I'd left the beach the day Cass and I had left camp. Guilt surged through me, and it only increased as I thought of the things he'd say to me if he'd heard those thoughts, the things I'd been thinking since we'd left my mother's house.

I shook my head trying to clear my mind. I could worry about Micah later, we had other things to address.

"This doesn't make any sense." I said in frustration, running my fingers through my hair.

I turned back to Hecate who was still looking between Cass and I, her expression suspicious, but I ignored this and continued with.

"If April was going to bring a God into this, why on earth would she come to you?"

"Who's April?" Hecate asked sounding perplexed, causing my train of thought to hit the brakes and derail.

"What do you mean who is April?" I asked confused. "Isn't that who asked you to curse Cass?"

"No." she said blankly. "That was Ares. And don't bother asking me why," she said holding up her hand, forestalling my question when she saw my expression. "I don't know why. All I know is that he said he'd let me borrow his chariot no questions asked if I did him this favor. And that, my little shadow jumper, is too good a deal to pass up."

Deciding not to question why she might need a war chariot. I looked at Cass.

"I'm still not getting it. No offense Cass, but I don't really get why Ares would care enough about you to curse you."

But he seemed to have understood something I didn't, because his eyes had gone uncharacteristically hard.

"Because it's not Ares who wanted to curse me." He said quietly, his tone dark. "It was Broderick."

"What?"

"He asked his father to make the deal."

"No, I get that." I said with a frown. "But why? I mean, I know he's friends with April, but what does any of this have to do with him?"

At this Cass looked a little uncomfortable.

"He's kind of had a crush on April for a while now." He said avoiding my eye and scratching the back of his head self-consciously as he continued to speak. "And he knew I knew it, even when I asked her out."

"Oh." I said, not sure what to do with this unpleasant information and Hecate let out a huff of irritation.

"Typical child of Aphrodite." she muttered crossing her hands over her chest and rolling her eyes in disdain. "Getting caught in a love triangle and needing to be bailed out."

"I didn't exactly make him look great when she and I were dating and we were all hanging out." Cass continued, ignoring Hecate. "I mean, he really likes her, so he probably would have helped her anyways, but I'm sure humiliating me only furthered the appeal."

"Well," I said a little awkwardly, trying to move past this. "I guess it doesn't really matter how we got here." I looked at Hecate who raised an eyebrow at me. "At least we know we're in the right place. You can remove the curse and we can head back to camp."

"Yeah, there's just one problem kiddo." she said apologetically and I felt my heart sink.

"What?"

"As much as I'd like to help you and your friend." She gave Cass a suspicious look before her eyes darted back to me. "I can't."

"Why not?" I asked feeling my temper starting to flare again. "You're the one who set the curse, you can remove it can't you?"

"Well, yes." She said hesitantly. "But it's not that simple."

"Why not?" I said keeping my voice calm, but I could hear darkness creeping into my tone.

"Look, Evy." She started quickly, in a conciliatory tone. "You know I love you and would never want to do anything to hurt you or one of your friends. But I didn't know he was your friend when I agreed to set the curse." She made a hopeless gesture towards Cass. "What am I supposed to tell Ares? That I just decided to go back on our deal? Even if he let that go, which he wouldn't, no one would ever trust me again! You know how hard it is for people like us." She said in a pleading tone. "Things are bad enough as it is. And I can't be making powerful enemies, especially after… well, you know."

She shrugged and avoided my eye, looking at the ground.

I did know. As much as I liked Hecate, not just as Micah's mother, but also as my father's friend and a person, she was on thin ice with Olympus and a lot of the Gods. Tired of being treated like she was second class by the Olympians, despite having always been loyal to them, she'd sided with Kronos in the Second Titan War. The Gods hadn't forgotten and if history had taught us anything, they wouldn't forget any time soon.

"I can't risk going back on a deal." she said softly. "Not with someone like Ares. If he didn't use it against me someone else would."

"So that's it then?" I asked angrily curing my hands into fists but it was only they wouldn't shake. It felt as if my stomach had fallen through the floor and my entire body was going cold. "Cass, has to stay cursed? There's nothing we can do?"

"No." she said shaking her head quickly. "I can't go back on my deal with Ares, but that doesn't mean you can't remove it yourselves."

"How are we going to do that?" I asked hopelessly.

This was way out of my depths. I didn't have a clue how to use magic. Not even Micah would be able to fix this, even if he wanted to help.

"Luckily, for you." she said with a smile. "I've been around the block a few times and have had several millennia to come up with a solution for this very situation. Do you really think I wouldn't have a backup plan if I needed a curse to be removed?"

"And you're going to tell us what it is?" Cass asked sounding skeptical. "What about Ares?"

She shrugged.

"The curse has been set. I've done my job. I can't help it if you get manage to get rid of it yourselves."

"What do we have to do?" I asked.

"There's spring. One I've hidden and have been enchanting for thousands of years. Anyone who's been touched by magic, mine or others, blessing or curse, will have all traces of it washed away when they enter the water."

"Seems simple enough." I said with a shrug, but evidently Cass wasn't convinced.

"What's the catch?" he asked suspiciously and Hecate gave him an appraising look before saying.

"The spring is heavily guarded. I've had to be…" she paused apparently choosing her words carefully before continuing with. " _Creative_ , in my spell work to ensure my secret has been kept safe from the Gods. Olympian and Underworld alike."

At this she gave me a pointed look.

"Don't tell Dad." I said with a nod. "Got it."

"If you go, you'll have to go alone." She continued. "Ares can't fault me if you lift the curse, but I don't think he'll be very understanding if I lead you straight to the spring."

"Ares? Not understanding? Who'd have thought." Cass muttered sarcastically.

"The best I can do is cover you tracks, keep his attention away from the two of you as you try to lift the curse. But be warned Evy," she said her eyes meeting mine. "This journey, should you choose to take it, is a perilous one. You'll be facing old magic. Ancient enchantments and curses. I've kept more than a few monsters in my employ to keep this place safe." She glanced at Cass before asking. "Are you sure you-"

"Just tell me where I'm going." I said cutting her off.

"Hold on a second Ev." Cass said shaking his head and looking at me in alarm. "You don't have to do this."

"I said I'd help you." I said looking at him in surprise.

"You said you'd help me find my mother." He countered. "Which you've already done. And you've been helping me ever since. But you didn't sign up for something like this."

His tone was a little incredulous and while I knew what he was saying was right, I found I didn't care.

"So what?" I asked. We finally had an answer. Something definitive we could work towards to remove the curse. I wasn't going to back out now.

"So just slow down for a minute." He said looking at me like I was crazy. "This sounds like it could be really dangerous. Even for you."

"You want to remove the curse, right?" I asked him impatiently.

"Yes," he conceded. "But not if that means we end up dying in the process. Let's just take a second to think about our options. There might be another way."

"Is there?" I asked looking at Hecate and she frowned. "Is there another way to guarantee the curse will be removed other than you lifting it yourself?"

"Not that I know of." She said quietly. "Unless you want to get other Gods involved."

"We don't." I said turning back to Cass in determination. "This is our best bet."

I wasn't sure why I was being so stubborn. It didn't matter to me what Cass looked like and he was right. I'd already done what I'd told him I would. Logically, I shouldn't care if the curse was broken or not. But my brain seemed to be working at a frantic pace at the moment, and logic had apparently been thrown out the window at this speed. I might not care what Cass looked like, but I knew he did, and I cared about him. So I had to help. I didn't understand it, but that didn't seem to matter at this point. I wasn't changing my mind.

He seemed to know it to. His expression was hard to read, but while I thought he'd be relieved that I'd decided to continue the mission, he looked a little upset.

"You don't have to do this." He said quietly.

"You'd do it for me, wouldn't you?" I asked.

His eyes met mine and I knew he too was thinking of the words Micah had said the day we'd left.

 _'He wouldn't do it for you.'_

He hadn't answered then, but he did now, and he didn't hesitate.

"Yeah. I would."

I couldn't help it. I smiled.

His gaze was still locked with mine and I realized, that this time, he wasn't the only one who didn't want to look away.

My thoughts were still racing, and I felt a little light headed. But before I could even begin to try and figure out what was happening, Hecate's voice brought me back to reality.

"Are you sure about this Ev?"

"Yeah." I said, letting my eyes linger on his for just a second longer before turning to face her.

"What about you?"

She was looking at Cassian who nodded.

"Yeah."

"Where are we headed?" I asked.

"You've already been there." she said hesitantly. "Do you remember your final night at camp the summer you met my son?"

I felt my stomach tighten, but I nodded.

"Do you still have it?"

"Yeah."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Cass shoot me a curious expression, but I kept my eyes trained on Hecate.

"Alright." She said giving me a final, anxious look. "Be safe my little shadow jumper. Good luck."

"Thanks Auntie H."

She gave me one last smile as she placed a hand on my shoulder. Dusk had fallen, and I could feel her power growing as the light slipped away and the night claimed the sky.

"Try not to get hurt." She continued.

"I'll be fine."

"I know." She said with a sad smile and resting her hand on the side of my face. "But be careful. I couldn't bear it if it was my magic that got you into that put you in danger."

"You said it yourself. I'm tough."

She laughed, but it was short and somewhat irritated.

"You are definitely your father's daughter." She said shaking her head but then giving me a stern look. "But speaking of you father, you should visit him more."

"Yeah. I know." I muttered guiltily, avoiding her eyes.

"He misses you more than he lets on." She pressed and I forced myself to meet her gaze.

"He said that?" I asked warily and she shook her head.

"He doesn't have to sweetie. We all can tell."

She'd let go now, and I felt a little awkward.

"I'll try and come down in a little while." I said trying to fill the silence between us. "You know. If he has time. He's usually got a lot on his plate."

"He always has time for his daughter." She said gently and for some reason, I couldn't help but remember his expression when I'd explained Cass and I were on a mission together.

I smiled a little and she continued.

"I know he's a busy man, but the day will come that you'll be grateful you have such a powerful father."

"Yeah, I guess." I said not really sure when that would be. I loved my Dad, but being related to him had certainly caused me far more problem then they had solved so far.

"You'll see sweetie." She said taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. "But you'd better get going. It's always safer for ladies such as ourselves to move under the cover of night."

"Alright." I agreed.

"Until next time love." She said stepping back as her figure dissolved into the darkness.

I watched the point at which she disappeared for a few seconds before I turned and looked at Cass.

Neither of us spoke for a moment, and I knew I should probably feel embarrassed about my heart to heart conversation he'd just been forced to witness but I didn't.

"You ready to go?" I asked offering him my hand.

"I don't know where we're going." He said taking it. "But yeah."

It was dark now, and while my night vision was far superior to most people's, I found his expression hard to read.

"What?" I asked as he continued to look at me.

"I want to ask you if you're really sure you want to do this. But you can be stubborn as hell sometimes and I saw you take down that guard earlier. I don't want to annoy you."

I was surprised into a laugh, and not for the first time since we'd left camp, I saw traces of his old appearance in his responding smile. But it wasn't the Cass I saw flirting with girls around camp or irritating people just because he could. It was the one who'd spent the night on the beach with me, who'd been happy, not terrified, to bump into me after a horrible mission that had me cursing the camp and wondering if I should hate the Olympian campers. The one who'd never been afraid of me, and no matter what anyone did or said, had always been nice to me. Even when people thought he was crazy for it.

"Yeah." I said simply. "I'm sure."


	22. Chapter 22

Hello everyone! Hope you like the new chapter! Thanks for all the positive support reviewing/favoriting/following/messaging. It really keep me motivated and I really appreciate it.

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

I stepped out of the shadows with Evelyn feeling conflicted.

Though it was dark, the moonlight was enough to show we were standing in a field surrounded by wild flowers. The grass was tall, almost up to her waist, and was bending in a breeze that pulled at her hair.

"Where are we?" I asked feeling uneasy. The valley was objectively beautiful, but something about it felt off. Like there was more to the scenery than met the eye.

"A very controversial location." She said carefully, her eyes darting to the rocky mountain side not far to our right.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Her expression was controlled in a way that I recognized from camp, when she was worried her reaction to something would set someone off, so she didn't want anyone to get a read on her thoughts.

"Look past The Mist." She said quietly and I frowned, trying to peel back the veil that hid the true world from the mortals.

"It seems stronger here," I said struggling.

"It is." She confirmed with a nod. "Hecate made sure of that."

"Why?" I asked, but she didn't respond and I was finally able to look past the magic.

Behind The Mist, the field was identical save for one crucial factor. A gigantic chasm, the length of a football field splintered the earth, it's jagged edges plunged to what looked like the Earth's very core. Fissures radiated from it, scaring the valley, the soil along the cracks blackened and ashy. The vegetation that ran along it was brittle and dead, and the contrast to the lush grass and vibrant flowers was striking. It was almost as if a fire had split the earth, but had been rapidly contained before it spread to the rest of the valley.

"What-What happened here?" I asked in shock.

"Kidnapping a Goddess requires expending a significant amount of power." She said tonelessly and I realized why she was being so careful.

"So this is where-"

"Yeah," she said cutting me off and looking away from the fissure a little awkwardly.

Of course she'd be uncomfortable. Evelyn spent a lot of time defending the Underworld and those associated with it, but it was hard to defend their King's kidnapping of an innocent woman. Even if it eventually worked out in the end, I could tell Persephone's kidnapping was an issue for her, and she didn't want to be seen as taking a side.

"What does this have to do with Micah's Mom?" I asked looking at Evelyn.

"She was here when it happened." She said gesturing towards the rocks. Set into the cliff was the mouth of a cave, which was what she'd been indicating. "She didn't see my father take Persephone, but she heard everything go down from in there. Ever since then she's kept tabs on the place. I guess now we know why."

"To hide her magic secret." I agreed and she nodded.

"It's kind of brilliant actually." Evelyn said starting to walk towards the cave and I followed. "My father's power almost destroyed this place when he captured his wife. You can still feel it here today. Who'd question a little extra Underworld magic with such an obvious explanation for it just a few feet away?"

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the chasm without looking at it.

"So if you've been here before, how come you didn't notice the enchanted spring?"

"Because it's not _here_." She said nodding towards the opening. "This is just how we get to it. Besides, This Mist is incredibly strong here. I doubt even Micah noticed unless she told him."

"Well then how are we supposed to find it?" I asked taking a flashlight out of my bag and clicking it on as we stepped into the cave.

It was dark and the farther I walked, the colder and heavier the air became. It smelled of mildew and damp topsoil. Goosebumps covered my arms, but I was surprised when she let out a slight laugh.

"What?" I asked and in the dim beam of the flashlight she gave me half a grin.

"Nothing." She said still sounding a little amused. "It's just, I realized something."

"What?"

"You're about to find out why I'm so attached to my boots."

"Meaning?" I asked raising an eyebrow, a little intrigued.

She dropped to one knee and it looked as if she was going to retie her laces, but she muttered something in Greek and I saw a symbol flash, bright white on the ankle of her boot. Suddenly, a hidden compartment appeared in the heel and slid open.

Out fell what looked like a metal lighter, with ornate images and Greek letters etched into silver.

"What is that?" I asked as she stood back up.

"Gift from a friend." She said before sparking it into life.

The metal glowed bright white, and after a flash, transformed into a small torch that crackled with bright purple fire.

"Back when we were thirteen, before we separated for the year the summer we met at camp, Micah said he wanted to show me something. He ended up taking me here."

She held up the torch and scanned the rock apparently looking for something.

"He told me Hecate has a bunch of places in the world, mortal and mythical, hidden in The Mist for her children to hide if they ever needed to."

The light fell on what looked a rusty bracket high on the wall.

"He gave me the lighter and told me to use it to gain entry into one if I ever needed a place to hide." She said jumping on to a chunk of rock that had broken from the ceiling and reaching up to rest the torch in the holder. "Saved my butt a few times actually."

There was a 'Thunk' as the torch slid into place, and a wave of heat as the flames swelled then dissipated.

I blinked, disoriented by the after images the fire had left in the darkness that now consumed the cave. Suddenly, a line of white light shot through the rock and turned at sharp angles, creating a door through which I saw a set of winding stone steps. The walls were lined with torches, each burning with different colored flames, but unlike the crystals in Evelyn's room in the Underworld, it didn't give the impression of cheerfulness. If anything, it was sinister.

"You ready?" Evelyn asked looking up at me, apparently unconcerned.

She raised her hand and the lighter flew back into her palm.

"I'm not entirely sure." I said honestly.

Evelyn had said she'd wanted to be here, but something inside me had grown uneasy. An instinct that told me despite all of the challenges we'd faced on this mission so far, poisonous manticores, angry Underworld Gods, and just the general chaos of being demigods in the mortal world, this was going to be far more dangerous.

"It'll be fine Cass." She said lightly, taking my hand and dragging me through the door. "I've done this a million times."

She sounded confident, but the second we crossed the threshold, there was a sound like a vault door closing and the color of the torches changed. They now burned a threatening red, as if some how they knew, the two people who'd just entered did not belong.

"Do all her hideouts do that?" I asked anxiously, looking over my shoulder and realizing that the door we'd walked through was now nothing more than solid stone.

"No." she said and she sounded a little spooked. "I've never actually activated this one."

"Not even when Micah showed you?"

"No." she said shaking her head. "He just told me what to look for, signs of her magic and how to get in. We didn't actually think to test it."

"Probably Hecate's magic keeping you from discovering her secret." I muttered looking at the walls.

I was surprised when her grip tightened on mine, and I looked down to see she looked worried.

"You ok?" I asked.

"No." she said quietly and as she looked at the torches, I saw the fire reflecting in her dark eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"The door just shut behind us and there's no shadows."

I looked at the torches lining the hall and realized she was right. There were so many of them, whatever shadow that would have been created by one, was dissipated by the light of another.

"I have no idea where we are," she said softly. "And I can't get us out even if I tried."

"Well." I said trying to keep my composure, wondering how on Olympus I was supposed to when Evelyn of all people looked rattled. "I guess the only thing we can do now is keep moving."

She nodded, but she still looked upset and without thinking, I laced my fingers with hers in an automatic motion, driven by a strange desire to comfort her. I didn't quite understand it, it wasn't like I could do much about the situation we were in and we both knew it. I half expected her to pull away, but was surprised when her fingers closed over mine.

"Let's go." I said softly, and we started making our way up the steps.

…

We didn't talk much as we walked. Evelyn kept looking over her shoulder in what I assumed was a habit, because I didn't know what she could possibly looking for. We were the only two people on the narrow steps, there were no windows, and the only exit had been sealed shut behind us.

Eventually, we reached the top of the steps to find a sturdy wooden door with a knocker at its center. It was bronze with a heavy ring that rested over a metal torch, the I knew must be a replica of the Goddess's preferred symbol.

I looked down at Evelyn who glanced at me uncertainly, before she reached out for knocker, and rapped it three times.

Fiery Greek letters appeared on the wood and it took a moment for my brain to unscramble them, but when I did, it almost laughed.

"What the-" Evelyn asked frowning as she scanned the sentence, almost as if couldn't believe what she was seeing.

 _'At what number do both the Fahrenheit and Celsius thermometer agree the temperature is the same?'_

"Well, Hecate _is_ the Goddess of trivial knowledge." I said a little amused.

"Yeah, ok. But who would know that?" she asked a little indignantly.

"Me." I said with a shrug.

"You know it?"

"Sure. It's negative forty degrees."

She stared at me with her eyebrow raised, apparently demanding some sort of explanation for this.

"Nerd, remember?" I said unable to stop myself from smiling a little. "I spent a lot of my time reading anything I could get my hands when I was a kid. I know tons of useless information."

"So does Micah." She said grudgingly. "Although his useless knowledge is mostly limited on cult classics and movies people have never heard of."

The words on the door burned out and it cracked open, revealing a sliver of bright light that poured into the hall.

"Now that you bring it up. He probably wouldn't be too happy about you showing me all this, would he?" I asked.

She shrugged, but I noticed she wouldn't look at me and that was all the answer she gave before she pushed open the door.

We stepped into what might have been one of the most bizarre places I'd ever seen. I'd been all over the world and, thanks to this mission, under it as well, but I'd never seen something like this. In front of us was what looked like a mix between the valley we'd left at the entrance of the cave, and a small grotto. Bronze and marbles statues surrounded us on stone pedestals while pockets of swaying grass sprung up in patches on the stone rock. The sky above us glowed with a hazy peach light and while there were no clouds, there was no sun either. Bright flowers dotted the area and sparks of light seemed to glitter in and out of existence. They reminded me of the fireflies we'd seen in Georgia, but I couldn't seem to get close enough to one before it faded away leaving nothing behind.

I found myself staring at these lights, wondering what they were, my brain feeling oddly clouded the longer I thought. I was so distracted that I jumped when I heard Evelyn speak, her voice dragging me back to the present and our current situation.

"Still no shadows." She said looking at the ground around her before squinting at the sky. It was clear no matter how beautiful the area was, she didn't trust it. "But we've been going for a while. This place looks relatively safe. We should probably break for now and set up some sort of camp so we can get some rest."

"Alright." I said continuing to look around feeling unsettled.

The place was objectively beautiful, but something about it felt strangely... ominous. The haze I'd noticed in the sky seemed to have settle over the grotto. Colors were bright but somehow washed out. Like a video game where the brightness levels had been set too high and Evelyn was right, despite the fact there was only one source of light, there were no shadows. Something wasn't right.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned, I saw nothing but the statue of a satyr, it's bronze gleaming dully in the misty light. I stared at it for a full thirty seconds before looking away. It hadn't moved, but that didn't quell the feeling of unease that was spreading through me.

"You alright?" Evelyn asked, sliding off her book bag and placing it on an empty pedestal.

I blinked. I could have sworn something had been standing there just a few seconds ago…

"Yeah." I said shaking my head. "I think my mind is playing tricks on me."

Her eyes narrowed and she looked over her shoulder, looking just as perturbed as I had felt.

"We can keep moving if you want." She said gesturing towards a gate across the grotto I hadn't spotted before.

Behind the pointed golden bars was what looked like a mountain path, lined with skeletal trees that looked as charred as the grass near the fissures back in the valley. A shock of fear went through and I shook my head.

"I think you're right." I said sliding off my book bag and setting it next to hers. "We should take the opportunity to rest while we can."

She nodded then grabbed her weapon.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she walked over to an olive tree.

The lights were still flickering in and out of life, and while they were beautiful, they were disorienting. My mind felt clouded. It was hard to tell but the farther she walked, the hazier the air seemed to become between us until she too looked a little washed out. I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to focus.

"Creating a little insurance." She replied then without warning, she hacked off a branch and I winced, afraid of what might happen.

"I'm not sure we should be messing with this place." I said looking over my shoulder. "Who knows what might happen if we do."

"You haven't known Hecate as long as I have." She said sharpening the ends of the branch and driving it into the ground so the stake pointed out. "There is no way I'm so much as closing my eyes in the middle of her spell work without some sort of defenses set up. Got a problem with that?"

I glanced at the statue of the Satyr that I could have sworn had turned so it's eyes were still trained on me.

"No." I said grabbing my blade as well, and getting to work.

We spent about thirty minutes, walking around the area hacking off branches to be used as stakes, and in this time, I couldn't suppress the anxiety that was starting to rise within me. What had started as a quiet discomfort, was now turning into a real strain.

While nothing particularly alarming had happened, something about this place just felt off.

I couldn't help but think that despite Evelyn saying she wanted to help me, I'd put us both in very real danger. The only exit we were aware of had sealed shut behind us, and we didn't have any idea of what we were up against. Not really anyways. That and the fact that this might have all been for nothing had my stomach tying itself into knots as we worked. My mother hadn't said she could help me, but she didn't say she couldn't either. I hadn't press for an answer because I wanted more time with Evelyn. Now that I was here, I realized just how selfish that had been. Since my decision to continue the mission she'd argued with her father, argued with her brother, suffered the effects of manticore poisoning, had to ward off flocks of dangerous monsters and was now in the middle of a magical strong hold enchanted by Hecate herself. And for what? So I could get what I wanted? I hadn't considered the danger we'd be in if we didn't go back to camp. A danger we'd both accepted she was largely in charge of protecting us from. I hadn't considered that maybe, she'd want this to be over and to go back to her friends. The decision had seemed simple at the time, but now that I was here, it seemed like a pretty stupid thing to do. Had that selfish impulse gotten us in a situation we might not get out of?

'She said she wanted to help.' A voice protested feebly from the back of my mind, but the argument was crap and I knew it. She thought this was the only way to break the curse. If she'd known that days ago I'd had a choice to end the mission, would she still be so willing to help?

My body went cold at thought and, unable to stand the silence, I glanced at Evelyn who was sharpening the last of the stakes.

"You know you never answered me." I said and she looked up at me, apparently confused.

"What?"

"When I asked if Micah would be upset." I said digging my final branch into the ground. "You didn't answer."

"Oh." She said and again, she frowned. "Well, yeah. He probably wouldn't be too pleased."

"Care to explain?" I asked and she sighed.

"He's just…" she deliberated on her use of words before settling on. "Protective, of us and our friends. In his mind you're not just an outsider, but someone who's actively involved with a lot of people he really hates and sees as a threat to the Underworld circle at camp. I'm not sure he thinks you deserve to benefit from things that are created from Underworld power."

"But you don't think that way." I pointed out.

She shrugged.

"Besides, it's not like I could ever use it without one of you guys with me. So what does it matter? I mean, I know he's your best friend, but why do you let his opinion influence you so much? He's so angry all the time," I frowned. "And I know it stresses you out. "

"Look." She said rubbing her face, her expression a little strained. "My relationship with Micah can be…" she hesitated. "Complicated, sometimes. I know he can be difficult, and we don't always agree on everything, but he's actually a much nicer person than you usually get to see. And he's a reliable friend, temperamental sometimes, but loyal. I was alone before he came to camp. He was the first Underworld demigod I'd ever met besides myself. He was my first real friend. And we were on our own for a while." Her voice was soft and her gaze unfocused, as if she was lost in thought. But she blinked and looked back at me as she continued. "We weren't sure if there were other people like us out there, or if they'd ever make it to camp. So at the end of our first summer together, we swore we'd protect each other. That's how I got this." She said reaching into her back pocket and holding up the lighter, shaking it for me to see.

I grew uncomfortable at this.

"Swore to protect each other?" I asked hesitantly. "Like a pinky promise or…?"

I let the sentence hang but she didn't seem to want to respond.

"Let's just keep it at or." She said eventually and I felt a chill go through me.

Did that mean what I thought it meant? Had she really taken an oath on the River Styx?

"How old were you?" I asked trying not to sound concerned.

"Thirteen." She said then laughed at my horrified expression. "Pretty stupid move, huh?"

"Gods Ev." I muttered in disbelief. To make that serious of an oath that young… That was insane. And it had been hanging over her for the last four years, would continue to hang over her for the rest of her life.

"Micah takes that promise seriously." She continued, cleaning stray bits of wood from the edge of her blade. "He takes loyalty from his friends seriously, and in his defense, he holds himself to the same standard, probably even more so actually, but I think that's why he gets so upset whenever you try to talk the Olympian kids out of trouble at camp." She replaced her sword on her belt then speared her last stake into the ground. "Sometimes I wonder if he thinks you're going to talk me out of keeping that promise at some point, and he's afraid of what's going to happen to me if I do."

"I had no idea." I said feeling wretched. No wonder he hated me…

"Of course you didn't." she said rubbing her hands on her jeans and walking to the center of the pseudo fort we'd created. She sat, and starting to unpack her bag. "How would you? I didn't tell you. And Micah sure as hell wouldn't tell you."

"Why didn't you say something?" I asked indignantly.

"Why would I?" she asked looking genuinely confused. "It wasn't relevant. It's not like I was in any sort of danger. Why would you need to know?"

"Not in any danger? Ev!" I said incredulously and she looked startled by the urgency in my tone. "You can't take something like this so lightly! What if something happened?"

She let out another laugh and continued to search through her bag.

"Cass, do you really think I was going to let you talk me into breaking that oath?" she gave me an exasperated smile. "How dumb do you think I am?" She shook her head, still chuckling. "You might be cursed, but your ego is certainly still intact."

She pulled out a couple energy bars and tossed me the vanilla flavor, opening the chocolate and taking a bite.

"Well, any other life binding contracts you've participated in over the years?" I asked sitting across from her and she gave me a bemused expression. "Any secret betrothals I need to hear about? Heartbroken lads you've left behind on your adventures around the world?"

"That might be the weirdest way I've ever heard someone ask 'are you seeing anybody?'" She said pulling a face as she continued to eat.

"Are you?" I asked trying to sound casual and she smirked.

"Isn't that your area of expertise 'Mr. Love and Beauty.'" She put air quotes around the name. "You tell me."

"Ok first." I said holding up a finger and scowling. " _Never_ call me that again."

She grinned and from her expression I knew, now that she knew it bothered me, she'd be calling me that all the time.

"And second," I continued, pushing away this troubling thought. "When it comes to emotional reading, you're sort of an information black hole."

One of her eyebrows shot up.

"Is that why you're so curious?" she asked dark eyes suspicious. "Completing the datasets the Aphrodite campers have stored in their heads about who likes whom at camp?"

"What? No, that… that's not how that works at all." I said shaking my head momentarily distracted. "And I'm just curious. The only guy I've ever really seen you around consistently is Micah and he's going out with Maya. Any guys outside camp?"

"What exactly do you think I'm doing while I'm out in the mortal world?" she asked a little indignantly. "Trolling malls and movie theaters hoping someone asks me out? There's not a lot of dating opportunities while you're tracking down the minotaur. Occasionally I'll stumble across a kid going through a punk or a rebellious phase that asks me out, but it's mostly to impress his friends that are watching him walk up to the death glare and a sword." she shrugged. "Hank did try to set me up with one of his Nephew's, a Legacy who was lucky enough not to attract monsters. But that didn't go very far. I bounce around a lot, in my experience it's better not to get too attached."

"That's just depressing."

"You're one to talk." She accused. "How many girls that you dated did you care all that much about?"

"Fair enough." I said quietly and the conversation was effectively shut down.

There was another few seconds where neither of us spoke when I remembered something I'd meant to ask.

"Did you give him anything?"

"What?"

"Micah." I clarified. "When he gave you the lighter."

"Oh. Yeah."

"What was it?"

She held open her hand and suddenly, black vapors gathered in the palm before they were quickly dispelled, leaving behind a glittering coin. It looked to be silver, and about the size of a half dollar, only much more reflexive, and I guessed the metal was far more valuable.

I picked it up looking at the designs that were engraved into the material. On one side was a skull that rested on what looked like a pile of gold and jewels, the other, a ghostly ferry crossing on a turbulent river.

"What is this?" I asked turning it over one final time before placing it back in her palm.

"It's a bribe." She said her expressions neutral, holding the coin between her fingers and up for me to see. "Whoever has one of these at the time of their death bypasses the mortal process of entering the Underworld and is taken directly to my father. _Before_ judgement." She added her tone significant.

"And Micah has one?"

She nodded.

"Anyone else?"

"My mother." She admitted. "And Nick. Not that he knows what it is." She said with a sigh. "But at least I know my Dad will be looking out for him when it's his time."

"And your Dad's ok with that?" I asked skeptically. "You just letting whoever you feel by pass the natural order of the Underworld?"

From the legends, I'd always gotten the impression that Hades was a bit of a stickler for the rules.

"Well, to tell you the truth, he doesn't know much about it." she said shifting the coin along the backs of her fingers absentmindedly, as if she wasn't really aware of doing it. "He gave one to me years ago, I don't think to interfere with anything, more just to talk to me before I cross permanently. But I figured, well, if there's one, there might be more and Charon's surprisingly easy to persuade."

"What does that mean?"

"He's gotten a little lazy over the last few decades. Every once and a while he loses a soul while crossing the Styx. I've helped him cover up some of his bigger mess ups. Tracked down a few missing souls to ensure the ones I care about end up where they should. Or Charon doesn't lose them too." She added with a scowl.

"I don't know what to say Ev," I said a little shocked and unable to keep the words to myself. "That seems incredibly corrupt."

"Welcome to the world of the Gods." She said with half a smile, but it was bitter. "Besides, I've done enough for Olympus and its inhabitants. I figure they can look the other way on this."

Her expression was hard and I looked at her, trying to get a sense of the situation. Part of me wanted to be surprised that Evelyn, the girl who was so careful about seemingly everything, would so blatantly use her Underworld connections like this, but, deep down I wasn't sure I was. I couldn't even begin to imagine the things she must have seen growing up as a child of one of the Big Three, and I'd seen several times what happened when someone she cared about was threatened. I guess I could understand her paranoia, and the lengths she might go to to ensure sure her loved ones afterlives looked nothing like her mortal one.

"Well," I said a little awkwardly. "What's your plan for when he finds out about your coin collection?"

"My guess is it won't matter." She said with a shrug. "The way I see it, by the time he finds out about the others, I'll probably have already been passed on for a while."

"Jeez, that's bleak."

"Maybe." She conceded with a reluctant shrug. "But it's more than likely what's going to happen."

A heavy silence fell over us. I wanted to say something but nothing came to mind that didn't sound painfully awkward.

"Well, I'm going to try and get some sleep." she said her tone neutral and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. It was weird to hear someone talk so calmly about their own death, but I figured, considering who her father was, she was probably pretty comfortable with the topic in general. "You cool with keeping watch for a few hours?"

She glanced at me and I nodded.

"Yeah."

She detached her sword from her belt, laying it carefully at her side before grabbing her book bag and using it as a pillow.

I glanced up at the sky, again, feeling that sense of unease but not exactly sure why. The light in it hadn't changed and I found it unnerving.

Having nothing better to do, I pulled my book out of my bag and started to read. After about ten pages, I glanced at my watch to see how much time had passed since we'd entered this weird cavern.

I blinked and then felt my body go cold.

'No.' I thought confused, feeling dread pour into my veins. 'No, that can't be right.'

The hands were still in the same place they'd been when we'd entered Hecate's 'sanctuary'. My watch had stopped.

I tapped it's face with my index finger, but nothing happened.

Frowning, I shook my wrist and glanced at it again. Nothing.

Feeling panicked, I dove for my bag, recklessly pulling out its contents in search of my phone. The screen woke as I picked it up, and another pang of fear went through me as I realized not only the time had frozen, but there was no signal either.

I tried to unlock it, but the moment I put in the passcode, the screen went black and the phone died.

"Whaaaat the hell…" I muttered, now sufficiently creeped out.

I looked over my shoulder and felt my stomach fall through the floor. Every statue was now facing us, turned in the direction of our extempore camp which now, felt like it was constructed out of little more than flimsy tooth picks.

I was about to wake Evelyn and ask her if she wanted to keep moving, when she twitched.

"Ev?" I asked uncertainly.

She twitched again.

"Ev," I repeated, putting a hand on her shoulder intending to try and wake her. "Are you-"

But her eyes flew open and immediately she went for her weapon. Luckily I caught her wrist in time.

"Hold up." I started as she struggled to reach the hilt, all the while thrashing around trying to break from my hold and striking me with her free hand.

"Get off me! Get off-"

"Evelyn! Hey! Calm down!" I said catching this one as well. "It's me!"

She stopped struggling and her eyes met mine.

"What? Cass?" she asked looking confused.

"Yes, it's me." I said and she relaxed, rubbing her wrist as I let her go.

"You ok?" I asked hesitantly, trying to ignore the throbbing in my skull that had connected with the heel of her palm.

"Yeah." She said taking a deep breath. "Just, just a-"

"Nightmare?" I asked and she nodded, avoiding my gaze.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked but she shook her head.

"No." she said firmly and from her expression, I knew I shouldn't push, even if a part of me wanted to.

"Well," I said trying to recover from the shock of her reaction. "Now that you're awake, I think we should get moving."

"Why?" she asked looking at me with a frown.

"I dunno, something about this place, it just doesn't feel right. My watch just stopped working. And my phone died for no reason."

"Mine's working fine." She said glancing at her wrist. She reached into a side pocket of her bag and pulled out her phone. "Maybe your phone just died? The signal in the valley's always been terrible."

"That doesn't explain the statues." I countered.

"What are you talking about?" she asked quizzically, as if she didn't understand what I meant.

"They're moving." I said and her eyebrows shot up.

"Uh, they are?" she asked glancing over the makeshift barrier at the surrounding area.

"Yes!" I said gesturing towards the Satyr that had caught my attention earlier. "I swear their eyes have been following me since we walked into this place."

But when I glanced at it to emphasis my point, I saw the bronze statue was facing the opposite direction.

"What the-" I said getting to my feet and looking around at all the figures.

They'd all gone back to their original positions. Hardly any of them were pointed towards me.

"I- Ev, they were all looking right at us. I swear." I said hopelessly, but her expression was unconvinced.

"It's been a long day Cass." She said her tone measured. "I think you might need some sleep."

"I'm not sleep deprived." I said irritated, annoyed at her monitored expression, like I was the one not making sense, not this place. "They're moving."

"Alright." She said but I knew she was humoring me. "But I still think you should sleep."

"You hardly got any." I protested but she shook her head.

"Don't worry about that, I'll be up for a while now anyways. Might as well take advantage of that."

My instinct was to argue, but what she'd said made too much sense. If she wouldn't be able to sleep, I might as well. Besides, if anyone was going to deal with creepy ambulatory statues, she was undoubtedly the better candidate, even if she didn't believe in them at the moment.

"Alright." I said quietly. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

She nodded.

So, feeling defeated and having nothing else to do, I sat back down and laid on my side.

To her credit. Evelyn kept her sword in her hand and watched over the stakes, clearly looking for signs of trouble, but my hopes that she'd notice something weren't high.

It was clear that whatever was going on here was only interested in messing with me.

"At least she was taking me somewhat seriously.' I thought closing my eyes, a small, anxious part of me wondering what would be waiting when I opened them.


	23. Chapter 23

Hello all! Hope you like the new chapter! Thanks for all the support!

~Secrethalfblood

Epov

I didn't know what Cass was talking about when he said the statues were moving, but while I hadn't seen anything too out of the ordinary, I had to admit something about this place felt weird. I couldn't quite put my finger on the problem, but from the moment we'd set foot into the grotto, a growing sense of anxiety had been gnawing at the pit of my stomach telling me something was wrong. Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight that made the place feel artificial, but a lack of sun had never really bothered me, not unless I had to spend more than a few weeks in the Underworld anyways. No, this weird. This prolonged twilight should have been an ideal situation for me only there were no shadows. While I could feel Hecate's magic in the air around me, my abilities didn't feel strengthened like they normally were when I was somewhere connected with the Underworld or one of its gods. If anything they felt dulled, weakened even. My senses were blurred, and my mind kept going through periods where it felt strangely blank and slow.

I reached out trying to find a shadow or any darkness I could manipulate but there was nothing. I repressed a shudder and hugged my knees to my chest, gripping the hilt of my sword tighter. I'd never felt this vulnerable, not since I was a kid at least. When I was little, I wasn't always sure if I called a shadow it would come, let alone a hellhound or spirit. It had taken years of painstaking practice to get my abilities completely under control, but even before I could walk through shadows, accidentally or not, I could always trust them to hide me if I needed them to. Darkness had always been sort of a shield to me, one attached to my instincts that never failed to protect me if I realized I was in real trouble. But I didn't have that now, and hadn't noticed how accustomed to integrating my abilities into battle I'd become until I realized I might be facing a fight without them.

Anxiety crept through me as dark, worrying thoughts entered my mind. What would happen if I wasn't strong enough? I couldn't run. I couldn't hide. What would happen to Cass?

Apprehensive, I glanced down at him only to roll my eyes and bite back a smile.

'Of course.' I thought, trying to be annoyed but not quite managing it.

Even cursed and asleep, Cass still somehow managed to look cool. I was a pretty light sleeper, but that didn't stop Nick from taking every opportunity he could to tell me that when I slept, I looked like a corpse, limp and dead to the world. Cass didn't look like he was sleeping so much as relaxing on the beach in a travel brochure designed to get people to come to the Caribbean.

'Show off.' I thought, unable to hide the grin any longer.

Considering he was sleeping, I wasn't sure exactly _how_ he was showing off but this was Cass after all. Would it really surprise anyone if, even in his sleep, he gave off a 'too cool' for well, anything, vibe?

I entertained myself for a second, trying to picture his expression if he'd known what I'd been thinking and guess what he'd say. Something smart probably. But then again, maybe not.

If we were at camp, surrounded by other people I was certain he would have, but over the last week or so, being around Cass had been… different. He hadn't been the one-dimensional son of Aphrodite I'd thought I'd gotten to know over the last few years. He'd been so much more. And because of this, I knew if he had heard what I'd been thinking, he would have said no one would have thought he was 'cool' right now. He'd try to play it off, act like it didn't mean anything to him, like he pretended things like his father and the way people treated him didn't, but it did. I knew it did. And I felt my fingers curl tighter around the hilt of my sword in anger.

Cass wasn't just the snarky, charming when he wanted to be, pretty boy everyone loved to talk about and convince themselves they knew. I mean, he was, but not really. That wasn't what made him _him_. I mean sure, when Cass looked like he usually did he looked like he stepped off of a magazine cover, but so what? That was just the surface. What did that matter?

I glanced over his distorted features, thinking of all the things about Cass that had nothing to do with his appearance.

He was smart, incredibly smart actually, and funny. I didn't think I knew anyone, except Nick maybe, who really understood my sense of humor. Even then no one made me laugh as much as Cass seemed to be able to. He was nice too, deep down anyways, nicer than most people had been to me my entire life. He might act like a jerk sometimes, but I was starting to realize it was only to the people who treated him like an object. As if the only important thing about him was his looks. People like April and all the other girls who ran around after him. Even his own father.

I felt a pang of pity go through me that I tried to ignore, but it was difficult. I couldn't help it. I felt sorry for him. No one deserved that, especially not Cass.

He was the only person outside my family that I knew who still read books, or that even came close to having been as many places as I had, and he couldn't even shadow travel. Like me he hadn't had it easy in school, but unlike me, he hadn't run from that. Rather than avoiding everyone, he'd learned five languages in an attempt to connect with the people around him, and even when he'd been pulled out of school, he still finished. Despite what most people thought about him, in a lot of ways, Cass had had it just as hard as I did growing up. In others, he'd had it a lot worse. At least my family was involved. My Dad was one of the busiest people in this world and under it, Gods included, but from what I could tell, I saw him way more than Cass saw his mother, and his father seemed like a straight up nightmare. I only had one sibling, one who wasn't even actually related to me, but I could tell that bond was more meaningful than all of Cass's relationships with his siblings combined, well, except maybe his sister Angela. But despite everything I'd had to go through growing up being related to someone from the Underworld, I knew my friends and my family would always have my back. None of Cass's had even lifted a finger to help him when he needed it. His father hadn't even recognized him.

I knew some of them would argue it was Cass's fault, that if he hadn't acted like such a jerk people might have made more of an effort, but that was a terrible excuse. The truth was most of them wouldn't have put up with him if he didn't look the way he did, but in my opinion, that said a lot more about them than it did Cass. At least he was honest. He didn't pretend to like people for superficial reasons, then abandon them when their appeal was up. Cass didn't like a lot of people, but it was clear to me that if he did care about someone, he cared a lot more about their well-being than his own. No matter what people said about them or him because of it.

But despite everything he'd been through, all the fake people and users that seemed to constantly follow him around in life,I'd never seen him complain. He could have sat there and felt sorry for himself, or gotten angry like my friends and I had done so many times, but he didn't and he wasn't. Cass seemed to try to do the best he could with any situation he got and to be honest, seeing all the things he'd had to deal with, that was pretty damn impressive. He was a pretty impressive person, and none of it had to deal with how he looked. The real Cass was below the surface no matter what it might look like, and I would take below the surface Cass over the person people at camp thought they knew every time. I didn't care what his or my friends thought. After we got back to camp I was going to make sure he never had to wonder if someone had his back ever again.

I'd just come to this decision when movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked up quickly, my body jumping into attack mode but I didn't see anything.

Uneasy, I got to my feet and turned, glancing in all directions, feeling my eyes narrow. I didn't see anything but that didn't dispel the tension spreading through me. Cass had said the statues had been moving. Had he been right?

I glared at the nearest one trying to look through any Mist or magic that might be concealing something more sinister than the nymph smiling at me. The harder I tried to concentrate, the hazier the air seemed to become. My thoughts began to muddle and I shook my head trying to clear it. Despite this, when I continued to scan the area, I kept getting distracted.

The sparks of lights that had been drifting around the grotto seemed to be increasing in number. I watched them for a moment, not really sure what to make of them. I'd thought they were fireflies when I'd first seen them, but that wasn't right…

I watched feeling my gaze go in and out of focus. I rubbed my eyes wishing I'd managed to get more sleep.

'Focus.' I thought shaking my head again, but they'd gotten closer now, fading in and out of existence, floating closer and closer.

I held open my palm as one hovered not two feet from me. I wasn't aware of sheathing of my sword, or even sitting back down, but the next thing I knew, it was glowing between my hands as I looked at it. It shone brighter, growing warmer as around me the grotto started to glimmer.

I glanced up, feeling dizzy and confused. A cool breeze tugged at my hair and my clothes, and I was startled to see that my glittering surroundings, had completely changed. The lights still danced on the air, giving it a strange gilded quality, but around me now were tall dunes of white sand, interspersed with tufts of wispy grass poking through sand every couple of feet. To my right was the water.

Confused, wondering why the world was glittering, and not really sure why I was here, I started to walk trying to remember what I'd been doing and where I was supposed to be. It wasn't here, I was sure of that, but I wasn't sure of where it was supposed to be either.

'What was I doing?' I thought putting my hands in my pockets realizing I was wearing shorts. I looked down in shock to see my boots were gone too. Weird. I had been doing something, something important, and I had been with someone. Who had I been with?

"Hey! Goth girl!"

I looked up and smiled when I saw Cass waving at me from where he was sitting part way up one of the dunes. That was right. I'd been with Cass.

I jogged up to him, losing my footing a few feet away and starting to slide.

"Careful." He said laughing as he caught my hand.

"Thanks."

I let him pull me next to him as he settled back into the sand looking completely relaxed, still smiling at me.

"No problem." He easily but then looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"What? Oh. Nothing." I said and I realized I'd been staring at him.

I frowned.

"Nothing." I continued not quite sure how to put it. "It's just… you look different."

"I do?" he asked raising an eyebrow, apparently amused.

"Yeah." I said uncertain as to why, but resolute about this. He looked the same as he always did. Insanely attractive. The same as he had from the first day I'd met him.

"You'd better hope not." He said in mock horror, but ruining it with a familiar smirk. "Cassian Holt with an altered appearance? That's like ruining a priceless work of art. Women across world would riot."

"You really think they'd care that much?" I asked raising an eyebrow, not certain why I was feeling more than a little irritated about the comment and the smirk grew.

"Feeling a little jealous are we love?"

"No." I snapped wondering if that's what this feeling was. I didn't like it. "You are so full of yourself."

I started to stand but, after saying something to himself in what sounded like amused French, he grabbed my waist and pulled me into his lap which, for some reason, I seemed to know he would.

"Relax Ev." he said in that irritatingly charming tone I was starting to both love and hate. "Hey, they can look all he want, I can't stop that," he said with a wink. "But I'm off the market. And I'm pretty sure I've made that abundantly clear."

'Off the market?' I thought. 'What?'

Something about his statement didn't make sense, and I was starting to feel like something was wrong when he put his arms around me and kissed my cheek. Suddenly, worrying didn't seem so important anymore and the feeling drifted away as I leaned my head against him, watched as the waves wash on to the sand.

"So, what are you doing out here Ev?" he asked and as my eyes grew heavier, I realized this wasn't the first time I'd been in a situation like this with him asking those words.

I tried to pinpoint the memory, but it felt as if it was drifting on the periphery of my mind and I was just too tired to chase it.

"What do you mean?" I asked giving up and closing my eyes. "I'm with you."

"True. But you should probably rest." He said his voice sounding farther away. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I don't want to." I said stubbornly.

"Why not?" He asked quietly.

"Nightmares." I mumbled.

"Don't worry about the nightmares." He said softly pulling me closer. "Just go to sleep Ev."

I wanted to protest, but I couldn't seem to find my voice. I was far too comfortable. For the first time in, well, maybe ever, I felt safe. Untouchable, and it had nothing to do with my powers.

I was warm and I trusted Cass. If he said not to worry about the nightmares then I wouldn't and I was just so tired...

"Go to sleep."

….

When I woke up, I didn't immediately open my eyes. There were a few reasons for this, first and foremost was that I was hoping to fall back asleep. I was warm and I wanted return to the dream I'd been having and that never happened. My dreams were always horrifying, but this one hadn't been. I wanted to make that last.

I couldn't fall back asleep however, due to a soft repetitive thump. The rhythm sounded familiar but I couldn't quite identify it. I listened for a few seconds before I decided it was a heartbeat, but this raised more questions than it answered. I tried to figure out what I'd fallen asleep on and why it had a heart beat, but after a while I gave up and opened my eyes. I blinked, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness.

Fear shot through me.

'Wait a second. Darkness?'

Using my senses, I reached out into the gloom and reacted just in time. I threw up my arms solidifying the shadows around us only to feel several heavy blows slam against it.

"Cass!" I shouted getting to my feet, realizing whose heartbeat I'd woken up to. "Get up!"

"What the-" his voice started and I felt rather than saw him move. "Ev? Where are you? What hap-"

But the figures slammed against the shadows again and they shattered, and I was thrown back into Cass. We crashed into the ground hard.

"You ok?" I asked pushing myself off the floor, straining to see. What was going on? My night vision weren't nearly as exceptional as Maya's but still, it was pretty damn good. Why couldn't I see?

I tried sensing what was in the darkness around me, but the mental pictures I got were fuzzy. One thing was clear though, we were surrounded.

"I think so." Cass's voice responded sounding a little dazed.

"Get up." I said attempting to snare the figures that were charging towards us, but the shadows were slow to respond, like I was trying to command glue, and already I could feel my energy ebbing.

This didn't make sense. I was in darkness. This was my element. I shouldn't be burning through power this fast.

I managed to find Cass and grabbed him, starting to run, throwing up another shield in time for third blow to almost knock me off my feet again.

"Ev," Cass asked sounding panicked. He'd managed to catch me, but I knew unlike me, he was completely blind. "What's going on?"

"Something is out there." I said turning trying to sort through the fuzzy images that were moving with startling speed. "They're circling us."

"Then let's get out of here." He said his hand fumbling for mine, but when I tried to move through shadows, they solidified.

"Ev, what are you waiting for?" Cass asked nervously as I continued to try and manipulate them, but got nothing.

"They're not responding." I said gritting my teeth with effort, but the shadows didn't budge. "I can't jump."

Suddenly, a massive form materialized out of the gloom it's heavy figure about to strike. Instinct kicked in and spikes formed in front of me impaling the thing, but they were brittle and when I tried to drive them deeper, they cracked like glass. I tried to solidify the blackness around me and push the figures back, but force field was heavy and slow. It wouldn't hold them back for long and again I found myself wondering what was going on. It was almost like someone had infiltrated the darkness and was fighting me for it's control.

"Alright." I spat furiously after trying and failing again to set up a barrier. "If I can't manipulate you, no one can!"

I threw out my arms determined to banish the gloom, but it didn't dispel like it should. It was viscous, like trying to push away a room full of honey, and I felt my body start to shake as the darkness resisted my commands. It pulled a few inches away from around me, but stalled after just two feet and got heavier and heavier.

"C'mon." I said pushing harder, locking my jaw and feeling my forehead starting to sweat. "Move!"

The figures continued to slam against the barrier and I could feel each crash like a blow to my own body as slowly, the darkness started to creep back in.

'No, no, no.' I thought dropping to one knee as millimeters turned into centimeters, then inches. The shadows crept closer, suffocating and heavy, and I felt like Atlas trying to hold up the sky.

Another blow had me bracing myself with my hands, shaking worse than ever as the barrier started to crack. I closed my eyes shouting in pain and frustration. The barrier took another hit, one that wracked throughout my body and I doubled over. My lungs had closed, I couldn't breathe, my head was pounding like it was about to explode as I was being crushed by the shadows.

The barrier fractured and fell with one final crash, and I hit the ground.

"Ev?" Cass asked, still blind, completely unaware of anything that was going on. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

I tried to respond but I couldn't. I still couldn't breathe. Every inch of me hurt and my body felt broken. I couldn't feel what was in the shadows anymore, I couldn't see. All sensory input had been cut off and I found myself trapped in a world that was entirely too dark.

My heart rate sky rocketed as for the first time, I felt fear consume me in the shadows. Was this what it was like for others? Was this why people were afraid? Was it this that they felt, being trapped in a darkness they couldn't control, helpless, not knowing what was in it?

Panic set in and I wanted to scream, but before I could, someone else shouted. It was Cass and he sounded like he was in pain. Suddenly, everything seemed to snap into focus. Cass was in trouble and he needed my help. I couldn't be going to pieces like this, Cass needed me. I had to get it together. I had to figure out what to do, where he was. He'd counted on me to keep him safe and though fear was raging through me like a hurricane, I forced it down trying desperately to center myself.

Ignoring the pain and the violent tremors in my limbs, I pushed myself off the ground. The shadows weighed on me like lead but I braced myself against them, feeling the ground starting to tremble beneath me.

'No.' I thought coldly getting to my hands and knees and slowly, the darkness started to retreat. 'No. You listen to me. Not the other way around.'

I was the daughter of Hades. This was what I did. Darkness was _my_ element. It was a part of me. I would allow nothing to make me afraid of the dark.

The stone beneath my fingers started to crack as I pushed harder, forcing the shadows away. As I struggled I realized something. The gloom wasn't what was heavy. It was something else. Something woven into it so tightly, I hadn't even realized it was there.

Magic.

Fury coursed through me and I felt my hands curl into fists feeling the force of it weighing me down, trying to regain control.

'No.' I thought savagely. 'Absolutely not.'

No one messed with my abilities like this. No one. I didn't care if Hecate was Micah's mother, or that I'd known her since I could walk. I was going tear every last enchantment out of _my_ shadows even if I had to do it spell by spell.

Anger tapped into power reserves I'd been unaware of until this moment and inside the magic, I felt the shadows respond immediately.

I forced myself to my feet, searching with my senses, looking for a weakness in the magic where I could begin to unravel it.

Just when I found a snag, Cass let out another shout. Fear had me clawing at the magic and with a desperate shout, I ripped through the black until suddenly, the shadows retreated. Loud cracks split the air like thunder, and the stone under my feet fractured, breaks radiating from me like the center of a blast point.

I could see the grotto around me now and it had transformed. It was no longer remotely beautiful. The sky had turned an sinister green, and stone was now broken and jagged, along with the remains of the statues that had filled it. But no longer were they innocent images of satyrs and nymphs that had dotted the area. They were now massive figures of grotesque monsters, their features contorted in expressions of evil. Or what was left of them anyways. I guess I knew what had been lurking behind the darkness, and they'd been destroyed along with everything around me.

'Cass.' A voice in the back of my mind and terror shot through me.

Was he ok? Did he survive the destruction?

I quickly looked over my shoulder meaning to search the area, but before I take so much as a step the world turned. I wasn't aware of falling until something caught me.

"Ev! Are you alright?"

"Cass?" I asked trying to look in the direction from which I thought his voice was coming, but the world was still spinning and I didn't know which way was up.

"Ev, can you hear me? Oh Gods. Are you ok?"

The next few seconds passed in a jumble of anxiety and confusion, but eventually my vision focused and landed on a pair of light green eyes.

It was Cass, and he looked terrified.

"You're bleeding." I said reaching up to touch the deep cut on his temple but he pushed me away.

"Forget about." He said shaking his head. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." I said honestly and I realized I was laying on the ground.

I didn't remember deciding to do that, so I figured Cass must have positioned me this way while I was regaining my directions.

I tried to sit up, but winced as my head throbbed and a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

I nodded but quickly stopped.

"Just tired." I said closing my eyes and letting my head back down.

"Are you sure?" he asked and he sounded so concerned, I couldn't help but let out a slight laugh.

"What?" he asked sounding thrown and I opened my eyes.

They found his, and I grinned.

"You're worried about _me_?" I asked. Since when did people worry about _me_ after a fight?

"Yes!" he said indignantly and I laughed harder this time, finding it difficult to stop.

"Did you hit your head or something?" Cass asked sounding completely confused and I closed my eyes, still grinning.

"Maybe."

"What is so funny Ev?" he asked sounding a little annoyed now and this time, I managed to sit up.

"You are." I said ignoring the pounding in my skull and looking around at the wreckage.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I just turned this place into a crater," I said gesturing to debris around us. "And you're about to pass out from blood loss," I gestured his wound. "Yet you're worried about me."

"Of course, I'm worried about you." he said quietly.

"I'll be fine." I said automatically, but when I got to my feet, my knees buckled and Cass caught me as I staggered again.

"Well, mostly fine." I amended bracing against him as I righted myself. "Might need like an hour or so to recover."

I expected something sarcastic in response, but he looked over his shoulder and a troubled expression crossed his features.

"We might not have that kind of time." He muttered.

I looked in the direction he had and felt my stomach sink. Slowly, on by one, chunks of statues and rubble were starting to twitch. Already some were rolling, clustering together, cracks mending as they sealed themselves back in place. It looked as if the grotto was starting to rebuild itself.

"As much as I hate to say it." Cass continued quietly. "I think we should keep moving."

He reached down and I realized he'd managed to save our bags from the destruction.

"Here." He said holding them up and I looked at him a little confused.

I could barely walk, and he wanted me to carry both of our bags? I could already feel my muscles groaning in protest. As if right now my body wasn't heavy enough.

He seemed to guess my line of thought because he explained.

"I can't carry both you and a book bag." He said gesturing over his shoulder and I felt myself blush.

"I-I'm fine really. I can walk-" I stammered trying to separate the arm I'd linked with his to keep from collapsing again. "I mean. You don't have to-"

But he cut me off.

"No you can't Ev, and yes I do. Don't bother arguing." He warned, guessing what I was about to stay. "We both know it's true. We need to get out of here. Let's not waste time."

I hesitated for just a second longer, but I knew he was right.

"Ok." I relented.

I took the bags and put one on each shoulder, ignoring the dull pain that told me they were not happy about it, then put my arms around Cass's.

"Do you work out or something?" I asked suspiciously he slid his arms under my knees, and straightened, adjusting to the added weight of me and the book bags as if it were nothing.

It was his turn to laugh.

"Why? Impressed Blake?" he asked playfully as he started walking, making his way to the gate we'd seen earlier.

"A little." I mumbled glad he was looking ahead and not at me.

"You do remember you're not the only demigod here, right?" he asked sounding a little amused. "We're a strong breed."

"Yeah." I said defensively. "But these bags are heavy and I'm not exactly made of feathers. It's a lot of weight, I'm not sure I could do it."

"Gods forbid I could do something you couldn't." he said mildly and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh shut up Cass. There's plenty of things you can do that I can't." I said. "But I'm trying to be nice here. You know, give you a compliment."

"Well you suck at it."

A flash of embarrassment went through me, but I wasn't sure why.

"I kind of what to smack you right now." I said trying to cover it and he grinned.

"Not the first time a girl has said that to me. Won't be the last."

"I believe it." I said darkly and his smile grew.

"We'll just put complementing on the list of things I'm better at than you."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh there's a list?"

"There is now." he said smugly.

"Is modesty on there?"

"Naturally. I'd say it's probably top five."

"Of course, it is." I muttered under my breath. "Right up there with being an ass."

"You know, you're talking a lot of trash for someone who can't move on their own at the moment." he pointed out and I found myself flushing again.

"I-" I started indignantly but he cut me off.

"Relax Ev." He said in a pacifying tone. "I'm just teasing. You don't have to do everything on your own you know."

"I know." I said automatically, feeling a little defensive. We'd reached the gate, and I looked up the path that lay beyond it, wondering where it would take us. To the spring eventually, I knew that, but I couldn't help but think of all the things that we might run into along the way. We'd barely gotten past the murderous statues alive. What was coming next? Would it be worse? No, it couldn't be. Could it?

"I just usually am alone when it comes to stuff like this." I continued wanting to distract myself from this thought.

I was always alone on missions. Even the ones with other people, even before they left me behind.

"Well not this time." He said and I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Not this time."

I thought about this as Cass started to walk on the path, and I wasn't sure what surprised me more. The fact that I could say these words, or that I believed them.


	24. Chapter 24

Cpov

The next hour was hell.

"Well," Evelyn said, wincing as she poured rubbing alcohol over a gash on her arm. "On the bright side. You killed your first monster."

"Yeah, and my fifth." I muttered darkly tending to my own injuries. "And tenth. Where do they keep coming from?"

"Dunno." She said wrapping the wound and ripping the gauze with her teeth before tying the bandage and nodding back towards the path. "But we'd better keep moving. We shouldn't stay in one place for too long."

She'd recovered from the events in the grotto remarkably fast, and while she could walk and fight on her own, by how hard she was breathing I could tell she wasn't back to full strength. She was still extremely pale, even for her, and it took her a while to catch her breath between fights.

I looked down at what remained of the gryphon I'd killed, feeling a frown mar my features. I'd expected to feel far more terror than I actually did now that I was confronted with a monster fight. For the most part, I was just annoyed. Before this mission I didn't realize just how much these sorts of injuries hurt, but they really _did_ hurt. I wanted the attacks to stop less because my life was in danger and more because they were irritating. I never had much to do with pain before and I wasn't a fan.

"Alright." I said quietly, kicking the remaining feathers out of spite and following her up the path.

The constant monster attacks weren't the only thing that was upsetting me. I was angry with myself. We'd been in real danger back in the grotto, so much danger that Evelyn of all people had had to push her limits, and no matter how I looked at it, it was all my fault. If I hadn't been such a jerk to April, I would never have been cursed and this whole mess wouldn't have happened. To make things worse, I might have even had an out. I'd found my mother, she might have been able to help me but I hadn't taken it, and for what? For more time with Evelyn?

I glanced at her still a few steps ahead of me as we walked up the path.

I could have spent more time with her at camp. True, it might have been harder around her friends, but I still could have spent time with her if I really wanted to.

'If I wanted to.' I thought bitterly, because that was all I ever seemed to think about. Me. What I wanted and what was good for me because the truth was, it was easier to force Evelyn to spend time with me if the mission had continued. I'd done it because I didn't want to admit to myself that if we went back to camp, she might not have wanted to spend that time with me. So, like always, I'd done what I wanted, what was easiest for me not caring what it meant for anyone else. Now we were stuck in real danger, and if something happened to Evelyn, it was entirely my fault.

This thought occupied my mine as we walked, my guilt increasing with each step I took until I thought it would tear me apart.

'She didn't have to help you.' a voice said in the back of my mind as I sank further into self-loathing. 'She stuck her neck out for you. Her friends are probably pissed and what did you do? You took advantage of it. She trusted you and your response was to put her in even more danger.'

More guilt flooded through me until I couldn't take it any longer. The voice was right. I'd been selfish, probably the most selfish I'd ever been which, in and of itself, was hard to believe considering the sort of person that I tended to be, but I had to tell her. And I'd have to deal with the consequences of my actions when I did.

"Ev-" I started, but she held up her hand gesturing for me to be quiet.

"What is it?" I asked reaching for my weapon, feeling my body go on high alert.

"Do you feel that?" she asked with a frown.

"Feel what?"

"I dunno." Her brow furrowed and it looked as if she was concentrating. "Something feels…"

She turned and looked behind me, back down the path and her eyes went wide.

"Run." She said quietly.

"What-"

"Run Cass!" she shouted grabbing my hand trying to pull me into a sprint.

"What's going on?" I asked glancing over my shoulder as I fell into stride next to her, and feeling my body go cold.

"What the _hell_ is that?" I almost shouted looking away from the black flames that were barreling towards us, consuming everything in it's path. The bare trees that lined the trail fell as dark smoke rose sinisterly into the green sky.

"Hellfire." Evelyn panted, stumbling over he feet as she ran.

Fear shot through me as I realized she was starting to slow. She hadn't fully recovered and the fire was moving fast. Too fast.

"What happens if it reaches us?" I asked and she shook her head.

"Nothing will happen to me. It'll kill you."

Behind us I heard another tree fall. The ground shook and automatically, I glanced back only to feel a thrill of fear. The fire had almost reached us. We weren't moving quickly enough.

Just then, Evelyn swore and I skidded to a halt when I realized she'd tripped and fallen.

"Ev!" I shouted in panic doubling back to help her.

"NO!" she shouted reaching out and the ground between us crumbled. It disintegrated, falling as if sucked in by the earth itself, creating a gaping chasm between us.

"Keep going!" she yelled. "I'll be fine!"

"But-"

"Cass!" she shouted desperately. "Just listen to me! Keep-"

But her voice was drowned out by the roar of the flames that swept around her, obscuring her from view and I felt terror grip me.

"Ev!" I shouted in horror.

Nothing.

"Evelyn!"

She didn't respond, or if she did, I couldn't hear her.

My heart pounded in my ears as I squinted, trying to find her outline but it was impossible. The flames had taken over, and she'd vanished within them.

Where was she? What was that stuff? She'd called it Hellfire but I had no idea what that meant. She'd said she'd be ok, but if she really was alright, where had she gone? And why hadn't she responded when I'd called?

These questions spiraled through my mind unwanted and unwelcome as I waited for her to emerge.

'What if she's not alright?' I thought, an icy feeling of dread stabbing through me, needling in my veins.

I wouldn't put it past Evelyn to lie. Had she told me she would be ok so I would keep going without her? So she wouldn't slow me down? Maybe it was like the situation with the manticore all over again. Had she sacrificed her own safety in order to ensure mine?

'No.' I thought trying to fight the panic that was clawing in my chest making it difficult to breathe. I wasn't letting that happen again. I wasn't going to leave her on her own. She wouldn't do that to me, and I couldn't do that to her now.

The chasm had done what she'd intended, it had provided a barrier for me and the fire, slowing the fire in it's attempt to cross to my side and keeping me from getting back for her. I judged it to be about ten feet wide, but already sparks were starting cross, drifting on the smoke. They landed on the skeletal trees behind me which began to smolder.

Evelyn had said she'd wanted me to keep going. I needed to get out of here if I wanted to beat the flames, but I couldn't move. My feet were rooted to the spot, my survival instincts overridden by the overwhelming need for me to know that she was going to be ok.

I didn't care what Evelyn said. I had to go back. She needed my help.

'Ok.' I thought shaking my head. 'Ok, you can do this."

I just had to make it across the gap.

'More of a ditch really.' I tried to convince myself. 'It's not _that_ far.'

The world record for longest jump ever recorded was twenty nine feet. I wasn't sure when I'd come across that fact over the years or why it had been committed to memory, but it was helpful.

'You're not a professional athlete.' A voice connected to those survival instincts said from the back of my mind. 'You're not even an athlete.'

But I shut it out. I was a demigod, even if most people forgot it. I might have been a son of Aphrodite, but my mother was still an Olympian. I was half god, and Zeus be damned if a little crack in the ground was going to get the better of me.

'You can do this.' I thought taking a couple steps back. 'You can do this. You're not insane. It's not that far…'

I continued for a few feet before I stopped, took a deep breath, then focused on the gap.

'You can do this. You can make it.'

I had to. Evelyn was on the other side.

I took off, sprinting as fast as I could to the edge of the fissure, planted my feet, and launched myself as far as I could.

Things seemed to slow down as I hung in the air, the acrid smoke clinging to me like noxious fog. I couldn't see how far I'd jumped, but eventually I slammed into the ground, rolling and coughing as the air was forced out of my lungs.

Then I felt the heat. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I closed my stinging eyes, already feeling my skin burn not two seconds among the flames. This must have been what standing on the sun would feel like if it wasn't entirely black. I gasped between coughs, only to gag on hot, toxic air.

"Ev!" I choked out, trying to push myself to my feet only to feel my hand slide through something oily and slick.

I forced myself to open my eyes, ignoring the pain, only to see my hand was covered in a dark liquid.

'What the hell is this?' I thought trying to stand again only to slip and find more of it running down the path.

Still coughing and burning alive, I managed to get to my feet. Sweat was pouring over my body, stinging the burns and I staggered, looking for Evelyn.

"Ev!" I shouted again, trying to squint through the flames and smoke.

I slid in a puddle of the liquid and tried to brace myself on the nearest tree trunk, only to find it viscous.

I jumped back to see the bark was softening. It bubbled and stuck to my hand and in horror, I realized that in the heat the trees were melting. The fire was literally liquefying everything in its path, and with a pang I realized I wasn't far behind.

I started to run, calling for Evelyn, looking around in desperation unable to see anything, my thoughts victims to panic and pain.

How long had she been trapped here? Where was she? I thought I would have run into her by now. She hadn't been that far...

I slid again and hit the ground. I gasped, trying to get my bearings but there was no longer any oxygen in the air. I choked and sputtered, trying to force myself up, but I had no idea where up was anymore. Everything was black and covered in flames. I felt the liquid flooding over me, dragging me deep into it as my mind, starved for oxygen, started to cloud. I was dizzy, I couldn't breathe. Pain radiated through me, every nerve firing at full force telling my brain to get out but I couldn't even move.

I felt my brain shutting down. Unable to breathe or handle the pain, I thought I heard someone say something. It sounded like my name, but I wasn't sure. I was vaguely aware of a hulking figure above me but I couldn't make it out. Some sort of monster?

'What monster would be stupid enough to walk into this?' I thought vaguely, wondering why my body felt like it was moving.

Where had Evelyn gone?

I thought I heard voices, but I couldn't quite be sure.

Was I too late? Was that why I hadn't found her? Had she, like the trees, been claimed by the fire on that path?

 _"Cass,"_

The voice was far and echoing. But it was familiar.

'Weird.' I thought vaguely wondering why the sky was changing colors. It was lighter now… what once had been black was now a weird shade of green.

'What a strange color for the sky.' I thought blankly.

Whoever had painted the ceiling in Evelyn's room had done a much better job than who ever had done this.

'It's not even the right color.'

 _"Cass, just, just hold on ok?"_

'Ok.' I thought distractedly my brain feeling fuzzy. I wondered why they sounded afraid. I tried to see who had been speaking, but my vision was going as blurry as my thoughts.

I reached up to try and touch the unsatisfactory sky, wondering if it was artificial when something took my hand in what felt like a death grip.

I wanted to protest at first, desiring to get to the bottom of this mystery, but whatever it was was warm and felt nice. But that wasn't the only thing. Whatever had taken my hand had been holding something, something small and cold which was now pressed into my palm. Confused, I tried to examine the object, but my thoughts were drifting in and out of focus, and I couldn't quite seem to get them within my grasp.

It occurred to me I could no longer see the green sky, someone was looking down at me. A very pretty someone.

"Ev?" I asked, or tried to ask. I wasn't sure if the words had actually made it out, but suddenly, the world snapped into focus.

"Gods Cass." She said her voice strained. She was leaning over me. It was her hand that was in mine. "You moron why did you do that? I told you I'd be fine, I-"

But suddenly, I was cold. Very cold. I was no longer in the flames and without their heat I was freezing. I felt my body start to shake.

"No, don't," she muttered putting her hand to my face then tearing through her bag. "Stay with me you idiot. I swear to my father if you-"

But the world went out of focus again and her voice reverberated, making it impossible to understand what she'd said. I was suddenly aware of tasting something sweet. Like the ice cream she'd brought the morning we'd spent at my father's apartment in New York.

'When had she gotten ice cream?' I thought vaguely. I didn't want ice cream. Didn't she know I was freezing? My body was still shaking, wasn't it?

But it wasn't, and the ice cream wasn't cold. The world snapped back into focus for just a few seconds, and it felt as if I'd broken the surface from arctic waters, my lungs burning for oxygen, but I was quickly dragged back below the surface.

That was my existence for what felt like an eternity. Drifting between this confused, unfocused limbo and a painful, blurry reality. On a rare occasion I caught the fact Evelyn was saying something but while I didn't often catch the words, I was continually aware she was there.

Eventually, I couldn't fight it any longer. After what could have been hours or even years, I felt myself being dragged into the darkness that had been ever present the back of my mind, consistently threatening to take over.

"Cass?" Evelyn's voice said as my hazy vision grew dimmer. It strangely clearer than it had been the last few time I'd heard it. Then it was terrified. "Cass! No!"

….

I woke up with a gasp, feeling as if my lungs had been filled with lava.

"Welcome back." A cold voice said as I hacked and coughed, doubling over feeling as if I were going to be sick.

Peering through the agony of the worst head ache I'd ever experienced, I ignored my screaming muscles as I pushed myself up only to see Evelyn glaring at a camp fire between us.

I rubbed my head and looked around a little confused. We seemed to be in another cave, but smaller than the one that had contained the entrance to Hecate's magical hell hole in which we were currently trapped.

A growl startled me and I jumped, turning and feeling my shock freeze my blood when I saw an enormous hell hound resting behind me.

"Easy." Evelyn said to the beast. "Tearing him to shreds now would make saving his life rather pointless, wouldn't it?"

Her voice was chilly, distant, and her eyes were dark. She both looked and sounded like her father, which I found alarming, and she was looking right at me.

"My life?" I asked confused.

I became aware of something in my palm, my fingers curled around the smooth surface. I glanced at it and felt a shock go through me. In it was a shiny, familiar coin.

"Yes, your life." She spat, grabbing something next to her and I saw a small crystal bottle. "An entire bottle of Nectar, Cass. That's what it took to bring you back. That almost killed you alone. You're lucky you're not dead!"

She threw the bottle into the flames. It shattered as they flared and she got to her feet, looking disgusted.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" she almost shouted, turning back to glare at me after pacing a few steps. "I told you to keep running, why did you go back?"

"I-I couldn't leave you behind." I started still a little confused. She looked totally unscathed. "The fire..."

"I'm impervious to hellfire Cass!" she said sounding furious.

"What?" I asked completely floored.

"Hellfire draws its power from my father," she said her voice still shaking in anger. "It doesn't affect me. I told you I'd be ok. Why didn't you listen?"

"I thought you were lying." I said quietly.

"So you jumped into a wall of flames?" she asked incensed.

"You would have done the same thing! When we ran into the manticore you-"

But she cut me off.

"No," she said coldly, shaking her head. "Don't make this about me. That is not the same thing. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I thought you were in trouble."

"That's no excuse to go charging after your own death!" She shouted and the hellhound started to circle us anxiously, clearly distressed by her rage. "You're lucky Hecate had one of my father's monsters patrolling the area! You're lucky it came when it was called!" She gestured towards the creature whose crimson eyes were trained on me, clearly just waiting for the order to attack. "I wouldn't have been able to get you out of there on my own, you would have died!"

"Ev, calm-"

"No don't tell me to calm down!" she shouted, the scary calm that usually presided over her anger abandoning her completely at these words. "I saw your soul slipping away!" she said wrapping her arms tight around herself as tears filled her eyes. She looked traumatized and she shook her head again, as if trying to shake off the memory. "Don't tell me to calm down." She said her voice starting to tremble. "Not until you see the life force of someone you care about draining out of their body. Not until you're holding on to their spirit, hoping you can buy enough time for their body to heal before…"

But her sentence died and suddenly, I became aware of something in my hand. I opened my palm and looked down only to see the coin her father had given her. The bribe she'd given to the people she cared about.

"You didn't think I was going to make it." I said quietly and she shook her head, the tears starting to fall and she wouldn't look at me.

"I saw you dying." she said quietly. "I saw you slipping away." Her voice shook as she continued. "It's not like how it is for other people for me. I can see your spirit actually..."

But she cut herself off again, and I felt a chill go through me as I processed what her words meant.

"Ev," I started, having no idea what I was supposed to say.

I reached out for her, but she flinched from me and the hellhound walked between us, it's growl louder now.

"Ev, I'm sorry." I said hopelessly, not knowing what else to do.

The hellhound was apparently unimpressed by the apology, because it snarled showing its fangs, its hackles raised, but Evelyn turned.

"Relax." She said with a hand gesture and the monster laid back down, not taking its eyes off me.

Her gaze met mine, and while she looked less angry, I wouldn't have been surprised if she ordered that thing rip me apart either.

"Don't ever do that again." she said darkly.

"What? Almost burn to death?" I asked, a part of me wondering if they were the last words I'd ever say. "Or just almost die in general? Because I need to know what sort of promise I'm making here."

She let out an irritated laugh surprising us both, then rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me laugh Cass. Do you know how much I hate you right now?"

"No," I said feeling slightly relieved. "But you must like me just a little bit more. Otherwise I'm pretty sure your friend would be using me as his next chew toy." I said gesturing towards the hellhound which she absentmindedly started to pet.

"Oh I haven't completely ruled that out yet." she muttered sourly. "You could live without a few of your limbs."

"Do I get a choice in which ones are gnawed off? Cuz you know, we've been training with my right hand" I gestured towards her sword on my belt. "And I'd hate to have to go over everything again. Seems like a waste of time."

She laughed again, this one real and though my head hurt, and my body felt exactly how I'd expect it to feel being caught in the middle of a divine fire storm, I felt a weight being lifted off me when I saw her smile.

"Gods you are an ass."

"Hey, you're the one who saved me." I reminded her. "You had an out. You chose to put up with me."

"Yeah." She said quietly going back to petting the hellhound.

"Speaking of outs." I said holding up the coin but she shook her head, pushing my hand away.

"Keep it."

"What?"

"Keep it." she repeated.

"But it's from your father." I protested guilt flooding into me once again. "I can't take this."

"Sure you can. Others have, and it's clear you need it more than I do."

"But-"

"Just keep it Cass. I didn't think I needed to worry about it with you of all people, but I'm not letting you cross into the Underworld alone. Especially since it looks like it might sooner rather than later with the rate you're going."

"But I don't deserve it." I said quietly.

"Deserve it?" she asked with a quizzical look. "It's a bribe Cass. No one dealing in bribes deserves anything it produces. That's kind of the point of a bribe."

"That's not what I meant." I muttered looking away from her.

"Then what are you talking about?" she asked sounding a little impatient.

"I mean I don't deserve this from _you_." I said holding up the coin feeling my heart rate and anxiety increase as I realized what I was about to say. "I don't deserve your protection when I die, especially at the expense of your last chance to talk to your father. Hell, I don't deserve your protection now."

"What do you mean?" she asked her eyes narrowing. She sounded confused.

"I mean I'm the reason were stuck here. Why we're in such danger."

"Not this again Cass." She said dismissively. "I chose to be here, remember? I knew it was going to be dangerous. You're not making me do anything I don't want to."

"Would you have chosen to be here if you knew I could have lifted the curse long before we got here?" I asked softly. "Before we ran into your father even?"

"An odd way of saying he captured you." she said with a frown. "But what are you talking about?"

"My mother." I said glancing at her, but she still looked confused.

"I thought you said she couldn't help you."

"Well, she didn't say that she could, but she didn't say that she couldn't either, and I didn't really ask." I admitted and the look she gave me was one of blank shock.

"You didn't ask?" she asked slowly, as if she couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"No." I admitted and while I was watching her expression, on hyper alert for signs of judgement or anger, I didn't find any. She simply looked at me like she couldn't work out the words.

"Why not?" she asked, apparently still completely thrown and I knew the moment was finally upon me. I had to tell her the truth and deal with the consequences that came with.

"I didn't ask because when I was talking to her, I realized I wasn't ready for the mission to be over yet."

"What?"

"I just… I just realized I wasn't ready to go back to camp and I knew that if she could lift the curse, then that's what would happen. We'd go right back to the way things were and I didn't want that."

" _What_ are you talking about Cass?" she asked emphasizing the word and she did sound a little irritated now, but I had a feeling it was more because she thought I wasn't making sense rather than what I was admitting. "You didn't want to be gorgeous again? Isn't that the whole reason we're here? Why we left camp?"

"No." I said shaking my head in frustration. Why didn't she understand? "I didn't care about the curse." Her eyebrows shot up but ignored it and continued, the words stumbling recklessly out of me. "I didn't want things to go back to the way they were between you and me. I guess… I guess I just liked spending time with you lately. Love it really. Away from everything and everyone back at camp, and I dunno," I sighed a little helplessly, running my ringers through my hair afraid to look her in the eye. "I guess I just wasn't ready to give that up."

"So wait." She said starting to rub her temples, as if it would help her make sense of the situation as she continued to speak. "Let me get this straight. You had a chance to lift the curse and you didn't take it? You extended the mission, kept the curse we specifically left camp to break, knowing you were in danger, that you couldn't defend yourself, all so you could spend more time with me?"

"Yeah." I said quietly and she simply stared at me.

Her voice had been uncertain, as if she still couldn't quite believe the words she was hearing, and I didn't understand the look she was giving me, but she didn't look angry.

"Are you insane?" she asked softly.

"Look, I get it if you're angry with me." I said quickly. "You have every right to be. If I were you I'd want to hit me."

"I'm closer to taking you to the Apollo cabin to get your head examined." She said incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You do realize you almost died, right?" she asked flatly. "Just to hang out with me? Not even hang out, but fight monsters and magic and my meet my _dad_." She shook her head, as if this last statement was the most implausible of them all. "What on Olympus were you thinking? The mortal world is a shit show Cass, especially for demigods. What could possibly have convinced you this was a good idea?"

"Well to be honest, I didn't think it would go this far."

"Oh I could have told you that." She muttered but I ignored this and continued.

"I wasn't really thinking." I admitted. "Look, I know it doesn't make any sense, but I just wasn't ready to go back to camp."

"Where it was safe?"

"Where we barely talked to each other." I said and she shook her head in frustration.

"Cass…" she started, but I cut her off.

"You know it's true Ev."

"We could have still spent time together."

"But would we have?" I asked quickly and she looked uncertain.

"We still would have been friends." She responded, clearly trying to dodge the question.

"But do you think things would have stayed the way they've been between us, or would they have gone back to the way they were?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. She sounded uncomfortable and I couldn't help but feel like this was going nightmarishly wrong.

"Look, I'm not saying it was smart." I said quietly. "But I didn't know what to do. I was afraid that when we got back to camp, back to our friends and how things are, you wouldn't want to be around me. It scared me. I panicked."

"But _why_ did it scare you?" she asked sounding aggravated. "What in my father's name could be worse than the mess we're in now?"

"That you don't feel the way about me that I feel about you." I said quietly. I hadn't meant to say it. it had just sort of come out, and Evelyn froze when she heard the words.

"What?" she whispered.

"Don't act surprised Ev." I said shaking my head. "I haven't exactly been subtle."

"Yeah but you flirt with everyone!" she said in exasperation. "I'm all you've had for the last few days. That doesn't mean-"

"What? That I care about you?" I asked incredulously. "I can count the number of people I truly care about on one hand. And of those people, you're the only that isn't related to me. Gods, why do you think I spent all that time doing favors for people at camp? Do you think I really enjoyed fixing problems for people like Broderick and his idiotic brothers whenever they messed with your friends?"

"They're your friends." She said frowning. "I thought you just wanted to keep things calm. I thought-"

"Ev, I couldn't care less if Broderick gets his ass kicked. Or if you were the one doing it. I just wanted to be around you, which by the way," I added with a humorless laugh. "Pretty much everyone but me figured out."

"This doesn't make any sense." She said shaking her head, crossing her arms over her chest and starting to pace.

The hellhound, that had so recently been glaring daggers at me, now whimpered and watched her anxiously, clearly sensing she was upset.

"Doesn't make sense?" I asked a sinking feeling going through me. "What do you mean?"

Did this mean she didn't feel the same way?

"Why would you want to spend time with me Cass? It's ME." she said throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Out of anyone at camp you could choose to get attached to, it was me?" She glanced at me. "I'm starting to think there really is something wrong with you."

"Choose?" I asked indignantly. "I didn't choose anything. People don't get to choose anything about this. And why wouldn't it be you?"

"You really need the list?" she asked raising an eyebrow. She'd stopped pacing and was looking at me as if she really did think I was crazy. "I'm a freak."

"You are not a freak." I said automatically but she waved the assurance away.

"I've literally held you soul Cass, ok?" She said flatly. "Even by demigod standards, that's not normal. My typical weekend consists of wandering around the globe, running after some monster or myth because a divine being _royally_ messed up and doesn't want to face the consequences. I have a giant target on my back for some monsters, and can command a literal army of others."

She gestured to the hellhound.

"The closest I've come to a date is trying to explain away my constant disappearances to my hermit fifty-year-old friend's nephew, as we walked through central park, so I don't accidentally start getting him attacked by monsters too. I'm probably the only person on the planet that feels more comfortable in a graveyard talking to spirits than trying to get to know people at the mall. I pulled myself out of school because I could never fit in. I still don't fit in hardly anywhere, and as you so helpfully pointed out, I can't have a meaningful relationship with really _anyone_ without being petrified something's going to tear it away. You want me to believe you find _that_ appealing?" she asked in disbelief. "Out of all the beautiful girls and super models, and well-adjusted demigods at camp who would be more than happy to throw themselves at you, you expect me to believe you think _I'm_ your best option?"

She looked at me like I was deranged. I waited for the rant to continue but she'd seemed to run out of steam.

"You done?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated for a second, but nodded, her expression wary.

"You're not a freak Ev." I said stiffly, hating the fact that she'd said that about herself. "You're a badass. You're seventeen and can take down the Hydra, something most people at camp could never hope to do. You can tame hellhounds, control spirits, use a shadow to take you wherever you want to go. Hellfire doesn't burn you, you broke Hecate's magic, do you know what's on my list of divine abilities? Make up, something twelve year olds on Instagram can do. You're insanely powerful. You're the only one at camp that can take Broderick in the arena, the only person he thinks twice before crossing, and yet despite all that, no matter how terribly people have treated you because of who your father is, you don't abuse it. You protect your friends, but you never fight if you can avoid it, even when you know you'll win. Do you know how few people have that kind of restraint? You care about everyone, not just your friends. You help anyone who needs it, even when you know they wouldn't help you."

I shook my head, wishing she'd understand.

"Do you know how frustrating it is, looking at you, knowing how you think about yourself?" I asked and she looked surprised. "You have all this power, but you only ever use it for good. Your whole life people have treated you like crap, but you're heart is still good. Yet you think you're this time bomb, a burden the camp has to put up with until the day you eventually go off, but in reality, they depend on you. We all do. And the only reason they don't realize it, is because you won't admit it to yourself. You're the first-person Chiron goes to when something goes down, the only reason people ever went to me to solve the problem is so they could get to you. You're a leader Ev, and if you weren't so afraid of yourself, it wouldn't just be your friends who saw that. If you spent less time worrying about what you could do, and started focusing on what you're capable of, you'd be running the place. Not playing fixer when people like Micah or Broderick need to be reined in."

I sighed.

"You know, you might be the one person on this planet that I actually respect. The question isn't why I would feel the way I do about you. It's why so many others don't. And if you stopped letting people demonize you, and stop believing them yourself, they would."

A moment of silence passed between us, where it seemed as if neither one of us knew what to say. Eventually, it was she who broke the silence.

"You really think that?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I do. And I wish you did too."

She looked away, her expression conflicted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you expect me to say to all of that Cass?" she muttered.

"Nothing." I said with a shrug. "You don't have to say anything."

"Then why bring all this up?" She sounded stressed, like she didn't want to think about any of it. "What's the point?"

"Because it's the truth. You don't have to feel the same way, but I want you to know."

She didn't say anything for several moments, then made an irritated, almost anxious noise.

"You know you Aphrodite kids are really irritating." She said and I was surprised when she started pacing again. "Why do you feel the need to make everything so complicated?"

"Uh, what?" I asked, not entirely sure where this was coming from.

"You always go around messing with people's feelings. Stirring up emotions, turning situations into problems that just didn't need to exist." She glanced at me. "Why can't you bury things like the rest of us?"

"Well first off, that's not really healthy …" I said cautiously, watching her walking from one side of the cave to the other. "And that's not really how we work. How people in general work. Emotions come out one way or another Ev, it would have come up eventually."

"And what am I supposed to do now?"

"Nothing." I repeated. "If you don't-"

"I mean how would it even work between us?" she said cutting me off, apparently following her own train of thought. "Our friends hate each other. We've got nothing in common!"

"What are you talking about Ev?" I asked frowning. Was she really considering something between us? "Sure we do."

"But our friends…" she said helplessly, like she was scrambling for excuses. "They hate each other. Like legitimately hate-"

"They can get over it." I assured, cutting her short. "At least I'm pretty sure yours will, and I don't know how many of the people I'm 'friends' with are actually my friends. So I don't really care what they think."

She bit her lip and gave me an anxious expression.

"Even if I did believe all this, believe you. What happens when the curse is lifted Cass? When we get back to camp?"

"What do you mean what happens?" I asked. I didn't care what happened next, not as long as she was a part of it.

"I mean I was an only child for a good part of my life." She said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked with a frown, not following whatever she was clearly trying to say.

"I don't like sharing Cass." She said avoiding my gaze and cold realization filtered through me. "Ask Nick. I suck at it. What happens when we go back to the real world and things to back to normal, when everyone wants a piece of you? Then what?"

"That's what you're worried about?" I asked incredulously. "I'm not asking you to share me Ev. I don't want that."

"That doesn't sound like you." she muttered and I was surprised by how much it stung.

Anger shot through me and I wanted to say something back, but the retort died before it could even fully form. I wasn't entitled to the sense of defensiveness I was feeling, not when she was right. I just hated the fact that she was.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, trying to keep my temper in check as guilt caused my stomach to sink.

"I guess I should expect that." I muttered. "It's not like I don't deserve it."

But it looked like I wasn't the only one feeling guilty.

"It's just…" she started quickly, a self-justifying note in her tone. "What makes this different from any other relationship you've been in? How is this any different than any other time where some girl gets all lovestruck because you look at her with those stupid eyes and-"

"Because I'm telling you it's different." I said quietly meeting her gaze and her eyes searched mine, clearly uncertain. "Look, Ev, I get it if you don't believe me but it's the truth."

I started to walk towards her but she turned away from me and continued to pace.

"I'm sure that's what you told everyone else." She said shaking her head sounding tired.

"I haven't told anyone that."

She stopped and looked back at me.

"Excuse me?"

"I've never told anyone I've dated that things were different. That I had any interest in changing how I act for them. Kind of why it annoyed me when they got upset actually."

"But it is now?" she asked skeptically, but she was facing me, and this time when I stepped closer, she didn't back away. "You want things to change?"

"Yeah." I said simply. "I do."

I stepped closer to her, into her space and I felt her heart rate shoot up.

"You want to know the difference between you and everyone else Ev?" I asked taking her hands in mine and as I threaded our fingers together, her eyes met mine.

"I'm don't promise I'll believe it." she said stubbornly. "But sure. Tell me."

"You're here." I said quietly. "No one else is. You think that's lost on me?"

"That I help people?"

"That you care. Even when I look like this," I let go of her hand and gestured to my face. "You still wanted to help me."

"Of course I wanted to help you." she said incredulously. "Why would how you look change that?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" I asked with a slightly bitter smile. "Yet you're the only one here. Do you really think I don't see that?"

She didn't respond, but looked at the hand that remained in mine. I'd still been holding the coin her father had given her, and it was pressed between our palms. I was willing to give it back if she wanted it, but she made no move to take it.

"Still think there isn't a difference?" I asked and she glanced up at me, her dark eyes still unsure.

"And you're ok with things being different?" she asked her tone measured. "Even when the curse is lifted, and everyone wants to be around you? Pretty girls and all your popular friends that hate me. You're willing to give all that up?"

"I don't think I ever wanted it in the first place." I said placing my palm on her cheek and brushing it with my thumb. "Not really. But yeah. Different is fine with me."

"Well alright then." She said a little awkwardly, as if she was trying to close a business meeting that hadn't gone the way she'd expected. "I guess it's settled."

"I guess so." I said amused.

"So, now wh-"

But before she could finish her sentence, I took her face between my hands and kissed her. Immediately, I felt the wave of shock that had washed over me in the graveyard pull me under, and I was flooded with a feeling so powerful, it felt as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the air but I didn't care. Breathing had suddenly become far less of a priority.

She'd gone rigid with surprise, but when I pulled her closer, she relaxed and I felt her arms slide around my neck. When she did, it felt as if my heart had caught on fire.

I'd kissed a lot of girls, but it had never felt like this. I'd completely lost track of space and time as I pulled her closer still, unaware of where I was or how long I'd been there as my usually over active brain shut off, focused only on this moment and keeping her, us in it. The feeling grew stronger the longer it lasted, and I felt my emotions start to run away with themselves. There were so many things I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't bring myself to break us apart. She leaned into me, and I was just thinking I never wanted this to end when I felt something sharp and uneven press between my shoulders, jarring us.

Surprised, we broke apart and I realized that I'd hit the rocky wall of the cave.

"Ow." I muttered my lips brushing hers and my brain slow to start as I said it, and she let out a laugh.

"You gonna survive Pretty Boy?" she asked with a smile stepping back to look at me, but I put my hands on her waist keeping her close.

"Dunno." I said unable to contain a grin. "I might need to be consoled."

"Yeah? Well I'm sorry to disappoint you." She said, this time managing to extricate herself from my grip before reaching down to pick up her book bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "But you're just going to have to suck it up. We should probably get moving. You know, before something _else_ tries to kill us."

"Might be worth the risk." I muttered.

She rolled her eyes, but grinned before putting her fingers to her lips. After a sharp whistle, the hellhound, who had been digging in the corner, trotted over to her. It crouched down so she could hop on its back, then she looked at me.

"You ready?"

"Not sure." I said also grabbing my bag, but looking at the beast warily. The look it shot me was insolent. As if it was daring me to just try and climb on its back. "I've never ridden a hellhound before. I don't think your pet likes me very much."

"You'll be fine." She said dismissively extending a hand to help me up as I walked over to the monster. "And I hate to break it to you Cass, but you have ridden one before."

"I have?"

"How do you think I got you here? Quit it." she added, chastising the dog when it growled as she helped me up.

It huffed moodily.

"Yeah, yeah." She said in a patronizing tone, rubbing the top of it's head and rolling her eyes as I slid an arm around her waist. "You're big and scary, and could eat anyone you wanted to, but you're not going to eat Cass. Now let's go."

The dog stood and shook itself slightly, clearly adjusting to our weight.

"You know, for someone who rejects the notion of royal lineage. You're pretty comfortable ordering people around." I said and I saw the corner of her mouth twitch into a slight grin.

"Something tells me you don't mind."

"Not really." I admitted and her smile turned into a smirk.

"Besides, you said I'm a bad ass right? I gotta be able to wield some sort of authority. Apparently I've got a reputation to uphold."

"True." I said but before I could say anything else, there was a jolt and I redoubled my grip on her, as the hellhound lunged forward and tore out of the cave.


	25. Chapter 25

Epov

At the speed of a hellhound, Cass and I made much faster progress than we had walking on our own.

"Gods, how long was I out?" Cass asked from behind me, clearly surprised by our surroundings. "Where are we?"

We were riding through a forest. It was densely packed with pine trees but well lit, their needles softening the pounding of the monster's paws below us. The sky was no longer green, and rays of warm sunlight were poking between the branches.

"No idea." I admitted. "I was sorted of preoccupied with keeping you alive when we got here. Just told our friend here to take us somewhere safe." I continued patting the hell hound's side as we darted between the trees. "She knows where we're going tough. I figured it might speed things up a bit if she gave us a lift."

"She?" he asked and he sounded surprised. The hellhound barked happily. "I hadn't realized." He said apparently amused. "No wonder she was upset with me."

We continued to tear through the woods out running most of the monsters hiding within them and killing the ones that could keep up.

Eventually, the forest started to thin until we found ourselves in a small box canyon with tall, craggy mountains jutting on either side. A small stream cut through the grass and the hellhound slowed as she hit the edge of the woods. She stopped, sniffing the air and looking up at the sky.

"It's been a while," I said shading my eyes and glancing at the sun. It was bright blue and clouds drifted listlessly across it.

While the sunlight was warm, a cool breeze blew over the grass causing it to bend and the water of the stream to ripple. I figured that where ever we were, it had to be elevated. I'd never really been one for hiking but I'd spent enough time on mountains to recognize this kind of air.

"Shadows are back." Cass said as we dropped to the ground. He was looking behind him at his own as he'd spoken, but then glanced at me. "Think that means-"

But before he could finish his question, the hellhound darted into the shade of the forest behind us and vanished.

"Huh." I said with interest, looking at the place the monster had disappeared, then stepping into Cass's shadow.

I found myself behind the tree line just a few feet away.

"We must be through Hecate's barriers if shadow travel's been turned back on," I said feeling a great sense of relief as I walked back to him. "I guess that means we're close."

"Where do you think we should go from here?" he asked.

"She said it was a spring." I said gesturing towards the stream. "My guess is if we follow the water, we'll find what we're looking for at its source."

He nodded and turned to look at it, clearly trying to find the direction of the flow. It was moving towards us from the opposite side of the canyon where the ridgelines met.

He started to walk, but not before taking my hand.

It surprised me for a moment, but I didn't let go. I mean, I guess this was what we'd talked about before wasn't it? Things changing between us? While it was what I wanted, I was sure of that, I guess I hadn't really thought through the logistics of the thing. How our relationship had changed, I guess now because what…? We were in one?

I frowned, but then my train of thought went to a screeching halt as I realized something.

Did I have a boyfriend?

The thought was alien to me and I glanced at Cass, not sure really want to think. Neither of us had actually addressed it. We'd kind of danced around it actually. But he'd said he didn't want anyone else. And I was quickly realizing I didn't either. Not that I'd ever really thought about it much before. In fact, he was the first person I'd really thought about it with. 'Boyfriend' seemed like an inadequate term for such a paradigm shift.

"You ok over there?" He asked nudging me with his elbow, and while he seemed to be looking determinedly ahead, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah." I said frowning. "Why?"

At this his grin grew.

"Well, pardon the relative invasion of your privacy, but your emotions have turned rather sentimental."

I felt my cheek flush.

"Stop _doing_ that." I complained looking away from him, not sure if I was more irritated or embarrassed as he laughed.

"Doing what?"

"Reading my emotions. You never did it before."

"I'm a little more dialed in now." He said amused. "Or maybe you're just a little more willing to share. So," this time he did look at me. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing in particular." I said as we continued to walk. "I'm just not quite sure what to call us," I hesitated before gesturing a little awkwardly between us. "This. You."

"Well I've heard Pretty Boy a fair few times from you." he said with a smirk and I rolled my eyes.

"You know what I mean Cass."

"You can call me whatever you like Ev, _except_ Mr. Love and Beauty." He said guessing my next few words by my expression and cutting me off.

I grinned.

"As long as we agree that this." He mimicked my gesture. "Is between us, and only us. As long as we're on the same page, I don't care what you want to call it."

I was surprised when I felt a sense of relief go through me at his words. Somehow knowing he wasn't expecting a typical romantic relationship out of someone like me was in a way… freeing. I'd never been in this sort of situation before, and part of me had been worried I wouldn't exactly know what to do. Now, well, it looked like I didn't have to.

I realized how wonderful that was, how wonderful he was sometimes. The grumpy sarcastic guy next to me, who always seemed to know how to make things easier for me. He always seemed to know what to say, or not say in some cases, when I was upset or stressed out. In fact, in a weird way, Cass of all people might have been the person in my life who was the most concerned about me. Sometimes even more than my family and friends. I couldn't believe I was just starting to realize that now.

I glanced at him again and for the second time, a small part of me felt like the word boyfriend just wasn't right. Maybe not enough.

This thought floated in the back of my mind as we walked along the stream. I wasn't sure how long it was before we reached the end of the canyon, but eventually, we hit a waterfall that was pouring into in to a small pool at the mouth of the stream.

"Do you think this is it or…?" Cass asked hesitantly, clearly underwhelmed and I frowned.

It wasn't particularly special. Sure, the waterfall was pretty and the pool was clear, but it was pretty shallow. So shallow that Cass could probably lay on his back and the water might not even cover his face. It was utterly unremarkable, there didn't seem to be anything enchanted about it.

"No." I said shaking my head, looking at the vapor created from the cascading water. Something in the back of my mind was nagging at me, making me think it wasn't the only kind of mist that was here.

It took a few tries, but eventually I was able to peel back a layer of magic and located a recess in the stone.

I dragged Cass behind the water, careful not to slip on the algae that covered the slick rock. The air was cool and damp, and I could feel my senses growing more alert the farther we walked and the dimmer it became.

Finally, I found it. In the back of the alcove, there was a narrow corridor with rough stone walls.

"Any idea what's behind there?" Cass asked anxiously, clearly wary. After everything we'd been through over the last several hours, it was obvious he wasn't eager to just jump right back into the unknown.

"Well, no." I admitted with a shrug. "But if we're lucky, it's what we're looking for."

"We haven't been very lucky recently." He pointed out.

"Then, we're due for some good fortune." I said with a grin, but when he didn't look convinced I took his hand again.

"C'mon." I said pulling him towards the corridor. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"You really need to ask that question?" he asked scowling. "After everything that's happened recently?"

"Lighten up Cass." I said rolling my eyes.

"I'll lighten up when all this is over."

"Then let's go." I said stepping into the corridor Cass trailing a few steps behind.

Cpov

I followed Evelyn between the stone wall and into the crevice, having a harder time navigating the narrow space than she did. After several claustrophobic feet, the darkness began to lighten.

The path started to widen, and suddenly, I found myself stepping into something that looked straight out of a fairytale.

The room was circular and looked like a cross between a temple and a secluded spring. It appeared to be carved out of the mountain itself the domed walls ending in a skylight, perfectly round, through which we could see the sky. Though it let in the sunlight, the spring, which if I was honest, was more of a rock pool, was crystal clear, and glowed a bioluminescent blue. Between us and the water, which extended to the edges of the room, was a small bank of grass and wild flowers whose colors were more vibrant than the flora in and around the Persephone cabin back at camp. Small trees with delicate blossoms were crowded in clusters along the bank, their petals seeming to drift to the ground continually, never running out. The air, which had so recently been cool and damp, was now warm and inviting, and I stepped into the sunlight, investigating our surroundings.

Rock features lined the pool, and a series of massive stones created a natural stairway descending into the water.

"Think we found it." Evelyn said grinning as she also stepped into the sun.

She squinted up at it and I wondered what she was thinking, but before I could ask, she looked at me.

"Ready?"

"I guess." I said but suddenly finding myself uncertain that I was. I glanced at the pool only to feel my stomach sink, but not sure as to why. "I just have to walk into it?"

"I assume so." She said with a shrug and sitting on the grass in front of one of the rock features and leaning against it. "Hecate made it seem pretty straight forward. I imagine she would have told us if there were multiple steps."

"Yeah you're probably right." I agreed, but I didn't move.

A couple of seconds passed while I contemplated the pool. A couple seconds turned into several, and then into minutes, but I couldn't seem to force myself to take any steps.

"You ok Cass?" Evelyn asked and while I didn't see her expression, I could hear her concern.

"Yeah." I said knowing full well I wasn't. I swallowed trying to control the anxiety that was starting to rise within me.

"Well then what are you waiting for?"

I didn't have an answer for her. I didn't know.

Hesitantly, I approached the edge of the water, wondering why I was so afraid. I knew it wasn't the magic around me. It was so strong, I could feel it vibrating within the air the closer I got to the pool, but that wasn't what was making my stomach clench and my chest tight with fear. No this was internal. Whatever I was afraid was coming from within me, and I didn't realize what it was until I hit the edge of the water and looked down, only to see my reflection looking back at me. My real reflection. Cassian Holt, a Son of Aphrodite without Hecate's curse.

I studied his, I guess my, features, feeling the exact opposite of how I thought I would. Instead of relieved, or excited even, I just felt… empty.

This was the face of the guy who didn't care about anything, or at least wanted to think he didn't. Who manipulated people's emotions for his own amusement, and insulted the people who wanted to be his friends just because he was irritated or bored. The person looking back at me was an asshole who'd hurt so many people, he'd driven a nice, albeit naive, girl like April to extremes all because he convinced her he cared about her, but never actually did. And for what? Because he had nothing better to do? He was angry at the world about something that wasn't her fault? This was the guy who looked at someone like Evelyn, and exploited her insecurities just so he could get what he wanted from her. This guy didn't deserve a second chance. He wasn't me. That was the face of a person I didn't want to be, not ever again. I was disgusted and it was this realization that had me recoiling. Stepping back so quickly I stumbled.

"Cass?" Evelyn asked quickly. "Cass, are you alright?"

I hadn't realized she'd moved until I felt her hand on my shoulder, and in my panic, I was breathing quickly.

"Yeah." I said shaking my head. "Yeah I…"

But I cut myself off, looking at back at the water.

"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked frowning.

"Nothing, I just…" my sentence faded as I continued to stare, feeling more conflicted than I ever had in my life.

I looked at her.

"What if we didn't go back." I said quietly and she looked confused.

"What?"

"What if we didn't go back to camp?" I asked and she raised an eyebrow.

"Are… are you serious?" she asked skeptically, as if she thought I was joking but I nodded.

"Completely."

"Why wouldn't we go back?"

"Why would we?" I asked and she looked concerned.

"Cass," she said slowly, as if she was trying to make me see reason. "You live at camp. All of our friends are there. It's safe."

"You're telling me you can't handle a couple of monsters? You barely spend any time there outside of the summer anyways."

"Let's just pump the breaks for a second." She said shaking her head and raising her palms in the universal 'slow down' gesture. "Where is this coming from? Why don't you want to go back to camp with your siblings and friends-"

"My friends suck Ev, and I'm pretty sure only Angela would really care if I was gone."

"That still doesn't explain why you don't want to break the curse." She pointed out and while I tried to respond, nothing came out.

"It's just," I started trying explain in a way that made sense, a way she could understand. "It's just, what if this messes everything up?"

"What do you mean?" she asked blankly.

"I mean, I'm not exactly sure how you felt about that person." I said gesturing to the pool. "But I don't like him. And I don't see why anyone would, especially you."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked glancing at the water and looking confused.

"Him!" I said pointing directly at my reflection and again, she arched an eyebrow.

"Cass. That's you."

"No," I said shaking my head. Didn't she get it? "That's who I used to be. And I don't want to be that person anymore. This." I said resting my hand on my chest. "Who I am now, is the person you like. And I like him better too. And I don't want to put that at risk. I don't want there to be even the slightest chance of turning back into that person. Someone who's unhappy, and mean, and well… certainly doesn't deserve someone like you. I don't want to take that chance. And if staying like this or not going to camp can prevent that, then I'm willing to do that." I said softly. "That's what I want to do."

Her expression was hard to read and I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Her to agree? For her to be moved by this declaration? For her to say that that was what she wanted too?

But she didn't do any of that. Instead she sighed in exasperation and shook her head looking down, but when she glanced up, she was grinning.

"You are _such_ a Son of Aphrodite, you know that?" she said, sounding as if she was trying not to laugh.

That caught me so off guard, it effectively train wrecked the spiraling process of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked her smiling grew.

"You're such a romantic. It's adorable." She said still sounding a little amused and stepping closer to me so she could rest her arms on my shoulders and around my neck. "Does it really need to be that dramatic Cass?" she asked quietly. "Things don't have to be so black and white. You don't need to punish yourself indefinitely, or exile yourself from who you are to avoid mistakes you've made in the past."

"But I don't want to be that person again." I said unable to keep myself from placing my hands on her waist.

"Then don't." She shrugged.

"It's not that simple." I muttered in frustration.

"Why not?"

"Because _this_ is the person you like." I said hopelessly and she looked surprised. "I don't want to be someone you don't. Whatever it is you want to call it between us, I don't want to mess it up."

I couldn't mess it up. I wasn't sure I could forgive myself if I did.

She looked at me for a second, and I couldn't tell she was thinking. But eventually, she spoke.

"Can't be much of a relationship if you're this afraid it ending." She said giving me a significant look.

It turned into a smirk, but I didn't find her throwing my words back in my face funny.

"This is different Ev…"

"I'm not so sure it is." She said thoughtfully, stepping closer to me. "And if you think jumping in that water and going back into camp is going to ruin everything, nothing probably should have started in the first place."

I didn't know what to say to this, and she took it as an opportunity to continue.

"You know the person I like Cass?" she asked softly, stepping closer still so my arms slid around her, locking her into place as her eyes met mine. I was surprised to find that I was a little nervous. "I like the guy, who ditched his _very_ pretty date to hang out with the camp outsider on the beach after she'd had a rough night. I like the guy who is happier running into me when I look like a nightmare after a mission than his popular friends at his own party. The one who asked Maya if she was ok when Broderick's sister attacked her, when no one else would. Who isn't scared of me, or Broderick for that matter, even when he could get his ass kicked, but is smart enough to somehow always avoid that." She grinned. "No matter who he insults. He's sarcastic, he's grumpy, but deep down he's a good person. And a nerd." She added with a smirk. "Though he doesn't want anyone to know it. And he rants about people with green shoes."

"Those things were atrocious."

"And you care about them way too much." She said with a fond laugh. "But despite the fact that I'm absolutely certain I'm going to stumble across a 600 page thesis on why green sneakers should be banned from society in a couple of years. I know you care about me more. When we were attacked by the manticore, you were more worried about me than you were about yourself. Which is ridiculous by the way." she grinned. " _You_ are ridiculous. You flirt too much, you make me laugh when I really shouldn't, and you say whatever goes through your head. _You_ are the person that I like. And who you are deep down doesn't change, no matter what you look like."

"So it doesn't matter to you if I lift the curse or not?"

"No," she said with a shrug. "If you don't want to lift the curse because you want to people to leave you alone then that's up to you. But if you don't want to lift it because you feel like you have to hide from who you used to be, well, I think it was you who said you can't just keeping running around hoping to avoid your problems. You shouldn't run from who you are Cass. In any form."

I didn't know how to respond.

"So," she said softly, her dark eyes meeting mine. "What's it going to be?"

I had my answer, but my brain seemed to be short circuiting at the moment. All I wanted to do was look at her. She must have seen it in my eyes though, because when she leaned closer and I tried to kiss her, she put her finger on my lips.

"Go finish the mission Pretty Boy." She said amused.

The next thing I knew her palm had connected with my chest, and I felt myself falling back until suddenly, I crashed into the water.

It wasn't cold, and from the moment I was submerged, it felt as if time had slowed. As my body sank, I felt a warmth spreading over me as I fell deeper into the pool, being enveloped in the magic that had saturated it. Immediately, I felt as if something toxic was being pulled out of my body. A poison I hadn't realized was there until the water siphoned it from me. I glanced up at the distorted image of the skylight above, surprised by the fact that though I'd been taken by surprise, my heart wasn't racing, and my lungs weren't burning for air. I hit the bottom of the pool feeling weightless, suspended in the water, bobbing a few inches above the stone floor. The longer I stayed, the more I became aware of the fact it wasn't just the curse that was being lifted from me. I hadn't realized how heavy it had been, until it was finally being removed, but the fear that had gripped me so tightly as recently as just a few minutes ago was draining from me too. I closed my eyes, enjoying this strange sense of peacefulness as bubbles darted around me.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed there, in this weird quasi conscious state, but I eventually opened my eyes when I heard my name.

"Cass?"

It was Evelyn's voice, but it was muffled and warped by the water. I glanced up to see what looked like a distorted image of her was leaning over the pool, clearly trying to keep an eye on me.

I should to get back to her. I didn't know how long I'd been here, but was probably worried.

I pushed off the bottom off the pool and broke the surface, taking a deep breath and shaking my head trying get some of the water out of my hair.

Wait a second.

I ran my fingers over my head only to find it had grown back. I touched my face to find it was smooth, the acne and scars gone. I glanced down in to the water rippling around me but it was too unsettled to see a reflection.

I looked over at Evelyn who was standing anxiously by the shore, her eyes locked on me.

She looked worried and I wondered how long I had been underwater.

I splashed over to the steps and walked to her, expecting some sort of reaction, but she hesitated.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You look weird." She said quietly and I touched my face again.

"I do?" I asked in surprise. "How so? Did something go wrong?"

I turned to turn back to the water to glance at my reflection, but she shook her head, taking my face between her hands still examining me cautiously.

"No, you look like you." she said frowning. "It's just, you do and you don't. You know?"

"No." I said honestly. "What do you mean?"

"You look like you did back at camp." She said. "You don't look like the person I've gotten accustomed to seeing lately. I think I'm just getting used to it."

She didn't look disappointed which was probably a good sign. In fact, it was like she didn't quite to know how to react. She seemed to be trying to look past my features, as if searching to see if in my time in the water had changed anything else about me. But then her eyes met mine, and slowly, a genuine, truly beautiful smile crossed her features.

"Like what you see?" I asked grinning.

"That's you alright." She said exasperated, starting to step back from me. "That's my Cass."

I laughed and caught her, dragging her back to me.

"I'm pretty sure I was always yours Ev." I said quietly, kissing her before leaning my forehead against hers and grinning slightly as I said. "Just ask Angela, she'll tell you."

"Did Cassian Holt have a crush on the Underfreak?" she asked looking up at me, her eyes going wide as she pretended to be scandalized.

"Don't call yourself that." I said with a scowl but I felt it soften as I continued with. "And yeah, he did. A big one. Even if he didn't realize it. Still does actually."

She laughed then let out a surprised yelp as I picked her up in my arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked still laughing. "Put me down."

"Nah, don't feel like it." I said so distracted, I didn't notice the figure scaling down the walls.

She didn't either.

"You are ridiculous."

"I won't argue with that." I said unable to keep myself from grinning. "But you love it."

"Love is a strong word there, Pretty Boy." She teased.

"I stand by my statement." I said arrogantly, only because I knew she would roll her eyes in the way that ended with a smile, and my comment was rewarded.

"I would ask what you know about love, but considering who your mother is, it's probably a lot."

"Well, I do know some things about it." I agreed setting her down and taking her hand. But I was realizing it had very little to do with who my mother was, and almost everything to do with the girl in front of me. I wanted to tell her that, but knew I couldn't.

'Not yet at least.' I thought.

I expected this to shock me, maybe even scare me a little but wasn't totally surprised when it didn't. If anything, I was excited.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked shrewdly, as if she knew I was keeping something from her.

"Are you sure you want to know?" I asked and she hesitated, clearly weighing her options.

"What do you think?" she asked, apparently, for some reason, deciding to leave the decision up to me.

"Probably not right now." I admitted. "But maybe eventually."

'Hopefully.' The romantic that Evelyn found so 'adorable' whispered in the back of my mind.

"We should get back to camp." She said and I was pleased to hear that her tone was a little regretful. "We've been gone for a while, who knows what's been happening. Gods know I wouldn't put it past Micah and Broderick to kill each other going this long without us running interference."

"You're not wrong." I said with a nod. "You're right, we should probably go."

I turned and began walking out of the sun from the skylight to the shadows that hugged the walls. I'd just started to wonder what the reactions from the other campers would be when we showed up hand in hand, when everything went wrong. Quest level wrong.

Evelyn let out a cry of pain and surprise as I felt her hand ripped from mine.

I turned feeling my body go cold as a massive, shadowy figure came into view. In the split-second I had to assess in the situation, I hadn't recognized what had grabbed her, but I saw Evelyn's eyes go wide. She was jerked back but not before her boot connected with my chest. The kick was heavy and sent me flying in the opposite direction falling back into the shadows.

Everything went dark and cold, and when I came out the other side. I was alone.

"Ev?" I asked quickly as a familiar smell of grass and summer overwhelmed me. My senses were still realign from the unexpected jump. I was on all on all fours trying to catch my bearings.

I heard voices, but even in my confused state I knew it was too many. I looked around desperately hoping to hear hers. But it wasn't there.

"Evelyn?" I asked desperately pushing myself to my feet ignoring the teenagers clad in orange t-shirts, even the fact that they were familiar faces.

"Ev!"

People had frozen in their tracks. They were whispering now, I knew it was about me but I didn't care.

"No, no, no, no." I muttered in a horror, running my fingers through my hair fear closing in on me cold and terrible.

I was back at camp. She wasn't here. She'd done it again. She'd sent me through on my own.

"Ev!" I shouted turning again knowing it was useless. She was gone. And I didn't even know what had taken her.

"Cass!" a voice shouted sounding terrified and I looked around wildly, only to be blinded by a mane of blonde hair and tackled into a hug. "Oh my Gods what happened to you? Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

I pushed Angela away.

"Where is Chiron? I need to find him." I said panic clawing at me, threatening to break me down and tear me apart. "Get everyone ready. Broderick, Vivian, Mandy, Andrew, everyone you can. We have to go back. We have to find her."

"What- What are you talking about?" Angela asked sounding concerned. "Find who? Cass, what happened to you? You look like you've been through a war zone! What's been going on?" she paused and looked at my side. "Where did you get a sword?"

But before I could respond, a cold voice called above the crowd.

"Where is Evelyn?" It was hostile, but it was also shaking.

Everyone turned and parted as a group of kids walked towards us. It was the Underworld campers, all of them. They were behind Micah and Maya who looked horrified.

I couldn't answer. Words had abandoned me but they didn't seem to need them. I was sure it was written on my face.

Maya, dropped Micah's hand and put her own over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes as Micah stood there looking shaken. His hands clenched into fists, enchanted flames burst around them as he glared at me, his expression one of pure hatred.

"What did you do?"


	26. Chapter 26

Hello all, I'm sorry for the delay. Finals and final projects got me so behind on writing, but break has started so hopefully I'll be able to get back to a weekly post schedule! Hope you like the latest chapter!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

The next few days passed in what felt like an unending blur. Micah and the Underworld campers had formed a search squad, sending Evelyn's friends out in twos and threes trying to find her, scouring the places she might be, locations she was known to frequent, or she might go if she was wounded but they'd all come back without her.

My blood went cold at this thought because I knew wounded was probably the best-case scenario.

If Evelyn hadn't come back, it was because she couldn't. She knew exactly what would happen to her friends if people knew she wasn't there to shield them. Especially if Micah was looking for her. She wouldn't put them though this if she could come back. She wouldn't put me through this. And if it was worse than that... if she'd been more than just wounded…

I shook my head trying not to think about it.

The worst part was I could do nothing to help. I kept going over the moment in my head, but I had no idea who took Evelyn, who would want to take her, or what they'd done to her that kept her from coming back. I'd wanted to join the scout parties, but they consisted entirely of the Underworld campers and they wanted nothing to do with me.

 _'You've done enough.'_ Was all Micah had said when I'd asked. They hadn't found Evelyn at Hecate's sanctuary. None of them wanted my help, and while I didn't blame them, I hated it.

Even if they didn't despise me I was useless. Ev was gone. I couldn't think, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I was barely keeping it together.

Sometimes, it felt like what was happening wasn't real. Like my brain couldn't process the fact that we couldn't find her. Half the time I expected to turn around and she'd be right there, stepping out of a shadow and rolling her eyes telling me not to worry. Other times, the gravity of the situation hit me and it was so heavy, I wondered if I'd ever see her again.

Time moved in weird ways. Sometimes hours trickled by without my notice, others, it felt like it had stopped altogether. I occasionally went to activities, but for the most part I avoided people. Whole chunks of the day would pass where I did nothing, practically catatonic, without even realizing it.

I didn't understand how the rest of the campers were doing it. They were going on with the normal routine as if nothing had happened. As if the world hadn't stopped. Like one of us wasn't missing. No one knew where Ev was and it was like no one but the Underworld campers and I seemed to care.

Most of the time I was numb, but occasionally, I'd be so angry at them for not caring, for going around like nothing was wrong, I wanted to scream. I wanted yell, I wanted to break things, to do _something_ , but it didn't matter what I did because none of it would bring her back, and it only got worse when I'd heard several counselors like Broderick and Angela herself had refused to help.

I hadn't talked to Angela for two days now, no matter how often she tried. I wasn't talking to any of my siblings really. The only thing that seemed to break me out of this weird daze were the skirmishes that were breaking out between the campers.

The Underworld kids that had been left behind, younger siblings or those with no mission or combat experience, seemed to be in a state of barely controlled panic. They moved around the camp in wide-eyed packs, sticking together, whispering and looked worried. It was clear Micah and the others hadn't told them what was going on, but they couldn't help but notice she was gone, and the others were looking for her. Their greatest protector was missing, and the older campers, people like Micah, their last line of defense from the other campers were periodically leaving only not to find her. It was pretty much open season on Underworld campers.

Out-numbered and out gunned, the youngest of the Underworld campers were being targeted. Chiron did what he could to keep the fighting under control but he couldn't be everywhere.

I felt my fingers clench tightly around the coin in my pocket as I walked through the camp, feeling the cuts on my knuckles stretch and start to split open. I'd earned the injury from pulling an Ares brother off of Micah's brother Evan, and the resulting fight. I ignored cuts hardly feeling the pain, aware of the whispers that were following me as I walked but not caring, only mildly interested when I felt the first drops of blood sliding from the wound.

People had been talking about me since I'd been back, no doubt wondering why I was so upset about 'the Underfreak', but I didn't care. I didn't care about much at the moment.

Normally, I wouldn't resort to physical violence when it came to anger, but it had just sort of happened. I couldn't stand what was seeing. I knew how Evelyn would feel if she knew what was being done to her friends and that she wasn't able to stop it and it infuriated me that people like Broderick and his cronies were going after little kids. I completely lost control. But I wasn't in control of a lot of things right now.

My friends had dropped me but I didn't care. Even the ones I hadn't blown up on I still resented. It didn't bother me that none of them had cared enough about me to help me when I needed it, but none of them cared that Evelyn was in trouble which I couldn't forgive.

I couldn't do much, but I could make sure that when she did come back, it wouldn't be to what was left of her friends.

' _If_ she comes back.' A small voice in the back of my mind said quietly and I winced.

'She'll come back.' I thought desperately. 'She has to.'

I'd just made it to the dining pavilion to try and force myself to eat something for lunch when I saw Micah's scouting party preparing to take off for its second sweep. I watched them for a while, wondering where they were searching when an arrogant voice caught my attention.

"Yeah custom made by Demetrius, you know, that scrawny kid from Cabin 9? Tip is coated in Gorgon blood, the poisonous kind."

I turned to see Broderick with a group of people, mostly his siblings and April. He was bragging about his new weapon, a spear he'd supposedly designed himself and had commissioned by one of the Hephaestus campers. It was a slim weapon, made of what looked like a dark metal, a titanium blade at the tip, with razor sharp edges.

"And if that isn't sick enough," he continued. "It's got a quick release with a concealed blade. The point is hollowed so that injects pit scorpion venom the second you make a solid contact." he let out a vicious laugh. "Two poisons in one, not enough Nectar or Ambrosia on Olympus to bring someone back from that combo."

I noticed April's eyes dart in my direction. Her expression looked conflicted, as if she wanted to say something, but I looked away not really caring if she did or not. I wasn't really sure what to do about her. She'd surprised me over the past few days, managing to talk Broderick out of a few fights before they started, but she didn't seem to try very hard to stop the violence once it already started.

Already whispers of a full-scale battle between the two camp factions were circling, and while Chiron made it clear he wouldn't tolerate this, I didn't know how he planned to stop it. Knowing Micah and Broderick, they'd been waiting for this fight a long time. I only prayed they found Evelyn before it did.

I knew I should probably say something to April, apologize for what I'd done to her and how I acted, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just didn't have the energy to care. Instead I kept walking, my mind, as always, on Ev. Hoping she was ok.

"You know. I'm actually kind of disappointed." Broderick continued his voice suddenly louder, as if he wanted it to carry further as I was walked away. "I had the inspiration for the design when I was thinking about the Underfreak."

I froze.

"You know, what it might take to finally get rid of her once and for all."

Rage caught within me, blistering and uncontrolled, spreading like wildfire in an open field during a drought.

"Seems now we'll never know, huh Cass?" He asked and I could hear his smirk. "Guess we have you to thank for that."

With unbridled fury, I turned, not caring how many of them there were or what would happen next. I was ready to pour every last bit of terror and anger and frustration I felt on to Broderick and his stupid friends. I took a step, rage coursing through me like poison, but was surprised when I felt someone grab my shoulder.

I looked down to see Maya, Micah's girlfriend and Evelyn's friend standing next to me. She was seething in anger, but she was still holding me back.

"Shut up Broderick." She snarled through gritted teeth and he raised an eyebrow.

"Make me pipsqueak." He said sounding amused.

At this she let out a bitter noise. Something close to condescending laugh.

"Please, I know exactly what I need to do to make you do anything." She scoffed. "And if it's too hard for your tiny little brain to comprehend what I mean by that. Look to your left moron. It might clear a few things up."

That shut him up. He went scarlet as April, who was standing right next to Broderick, turned obviously expecting to see something in the distance, while everyone else looked right at her.

"C'mon Cass." She muttered dragging me away from the group.

"I'm going to kill him." I growled my voice shaking has my hands clenched into fists.

"Don't be an idiot. He could rip your head off."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because he's an imbecile who goes about trying to impress girls the wrong way." She snarled.

"No, not that." I said shaking my head. "Why did you stop me?"

"Because you were about to be pounded into a pulp." She said as if this was obvious.

"I don't care." I said repeated darkly.

"Well I do." She said stiffly. "And so would Ev. So stop making everything about you."

Instantly, like water thrown to flame, the fury within me died. I glanced at her and while her tone was quiet, her jaw was set. But she didn't look angry. She looked sad.

I didn't understand this.

"Why do you care what happens to me?" I asked softly.

I figured she'd hate me like the rest of her friends.

She hesitated for a moment, as if she wasn't really sure how to say what she wanted, but eventually she replied.

"Because when Broderick and his sister went after me, you made sure I was ok." She said quietly. "You made sure Ev was ok too. You said if we had problems with the Ares kids, we should come to you."

I paused and looked at her in surprise. She remembered that?

"I'm not sure why, but in your own weird Son of Aphrodite way, you've always made sure we were alright. And right now you clearly aren't. So, the way I see it," she paused and looked a little uncomfortable, but pressed on nevertheless. "It's our turn to look out for you. That, and it's what Ev would want. She clearly sees you as one of us or something close to it. And that's good enough for me."

"One of you guys. What does that mean?" I asked.

"Look," she said forcing me to a bench next to the basketball courts. No one was around us and she was fixing me with a suspicious look. "I don't know what was going on with you and Ev before you guys left camp together, or what happened when you did, but something clearly was." She said crossing her arms over her chest. "I know where that sword came from." She gestured towards Evelyn's blade on my belt. "That was her favorite weapon before she could handle wielding Stygian iron all the time. She wouldn't give it to just anybody. And I'm sick of wasting time with these useless search parties. They're not finding anything and I think the best way of saving her is sitting in front of me. You clearly mean something to her, and if Micah won't listen to me then I guess I'll have to do it myself."

"I can't help you." I said shaking my head, hopelessness washing over me yet again. "I didn't recognize what took her. I don't know where she is."

"There's got to be something." She said stubbornly glaring at me. "Evelyn cares about you, and from what it looks like, she's trusted you with more than she trusted some of us with."

Her tone was tight, controlled, and I knew she was trying not to show how much this bothered her and focusing on the situation instead.

"So think." She continued flatly. "You two spent a lot of time together on that mission. There's got to be something you know that can help us. Something that we don't."

"I-" I started expecting my brain to freeze or spiral into a mess of panicked thoughts like it had done recently, but her steadiness seemed calmed me.

Her gaze met mine, and while here eyes were brown, they weren't nearly as dark as Evelyn's, or as intense. But Maya hadn't lived the sort of life Evelyn had. Hadn't seen the things that Evelyn had had to see. Her eyes were kind, but didn't seem to look through me like Evelyn's did. They didn't have the ability to look at a person or a situation and calculate it, break it down, while revealing nothing of herself, all the while, deep down, hoping that whoever did get to know her, might accept her.

I thought back over the mission. Everything over those days that Evelyn had allowed me to get to know. All the places we'd been, all the things we'd talked about. I hadn't realized it then, but looking at Maya now, I realized how unusual that might be for Evelyn. To let someone really get to know her and suddenly, something fell into place. A switch was flipped and I felt my brain firing on, not all, but at least some cylinders. I was finally starting to think straight.

Maya was right. I did know something she didn't. Something Evelyn had shown me, that no one at camp knew. I hadn't thought much of it at the time but looking back, I should have been amazed that Evelyn had shown me at all. She hadn't even told her friends.

"I think I might actually know someone who might be able to help us." I said amazed I hadn't thought of this before, and Maya looked at me in surprise. "But we need to leave now. And we might not get a very warm welcome."

"Where are we going?"

"New York." I answered.

"And what's there?" she asked with a frown.

"A friend of Evelyn's." I said getting to my feet. "His name is Hank. He knows a lot more about Evelyn's life outside of camp than I think anyone does, her demigod life at least. He might be able to help."

She still looked a little suspicious and while she'd said she thought I could help, it was clear she still wasn't in love with the idea of working with an Olympian camper.

'Well, she's going to have to get over that.' I thought wryly.

In the end, I didn't really care what she thought about me. But if she could help me find Evelyn, I would work with her. I'd do anything.

"Alright." she agreed with a nod, and while her voice was soft, it was determined. "We can use my search team's chariot. Let's go."

…

It took me a while to find the 'Tipsy Satyr', not least because according to the internet, it didn't exist.

We'd touched down in the city at about midday, but it was well into the evening before we got anywhere close. When I finally managed to find the right street, it took a while to find the staircase that led to the bar entrance. As we approached, I saw a young couple rushing out of it.

"AND STAY OUT!" Hanks voice shouted irritated and I saw a crossbow bolt bounce off the concrete just outside the door.

The couple hurried up the stairs looking flustered, and the door slammed shut but not before the hours sign was purposefully readjusted to 'closed.'

"You sure this is the right place?" Maya asked her eyes going wide as they darted anxiously from the arrow to the entrance. Clearly, she was apprehensive and while I didn't blame her, as of right now, this was our best chance at finding Evelyn.

"This is it." I said jogging down the stairs and opening the door.

"I said we're closed!" Hank yelled from behind the bar and I ducked as a bottle was thrown at me.

The glass shattered and the smell of sour wine washed over me.

"If you snap one more picture for your Instagram I swear-"

But he cut himself short when he realized we weren't the unfortunate couple he'd just chased out. Judging by his words, I figured they had assumed they'd stumbled across a trendy dive bar in NYC and thought they'd post about their experience and while I hadn't known him long, I knew Hank would not be happy about that. Not if he wanted to continue living under the radar.

"Beat it." he snapped. "I don't serve ninety percent of the people who walk in here, and I'm not about to serve a couple of kids."

"We're not here for drinks." I said making sure to step in front of Maya in case he got any ideas about throwing more bottles. "We need your help."

"Get out of here." He said sounding aggravated and waving me off as he started making his way towards the back room. He picked a glass up off the counter and started to clean it with a towel that had been thrown over his shoulder but froze when I said.

"Hank."

Slowly, he turned to look at me his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"How do you know my name?" he asked warily, clearly caught off guard, but his trepidation was quickly turning into anger. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Cassian Holt. We've met before."

"I don't remember you."

"I didn't exactly look the same." I explained. "I was here just a few days ago, with Evelyn."

He paused for a second, his eyes narrowing farther, clearly trying sort through his memories over the past week or so but I could see when he arrived to the correct one, because he looked less suspicious.

"So." He said his tone calculated. "You're Aphrodite boy."

"Yes." I confirmed as carefully, Maya stepped out from behind me. "This is Maya. She's a friend of Evelyn's as well."

"Dammit Ev." he muttered rubbing the back of his head looking stressed, but now facing me completely me all the same. "How many kids are you going to send me…"

His tone turned gruff.

"Well? What do you want?" he snapped. "Where is Evelyn anyways? What's the that little punk gotten herself into now?"

"She's missing." I said feeling my heart constrict at the words.

For the second time in the passed few minutes, I heard something shatter and I realized he'd dropped the glass he'd been polishing, but he didn't move to pick up the pieces.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"Something took her." I said quietly and his expression went dark.

" _What_ took her?"

"I don't know." I admitted shaking my head. "We were hoping you could help us figure that out. It might help us find her."

He hesitated for a second, apparently thinking, before ignoring the glass shards and walking towards the back room.

"Come with me." He called gesturing for us to follow him and after a quick glance at each other, Maya and I stepped behind the bar.

"Who is this guy?" Maya asked quietly as we passed the register.

"He's a friend of Ev's. He runs this place."

"And he knows who she is?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, he's a demigod as well."

"Oh." She said sounding a little surprised. "How does she even know him?"

I explained what I knew of Hank and Evelyn's relationship as we walked into the backroom which was tiny and packed with the usual things you'd expect to see at a bar. Bottles, extra chairs, broken furniture from what looked like bar and monster fights. On the far side was a curtain which I could only assume Hank had walked through since he wasn't here.

I pushed it aside and felt a shock go through me. The room hidden behind the curtain was much bigger than I expected it to be. It was almost the size of the entire bar. These walls too were covered with a mix of books, scrolls, and weapons. A wide safe, about waist high, was tucked in a corner and I noticed a weird, crystal chandelier hung low from the ceiling falling in the center of the room over a worn wooden table. It didn't look expensive. The crystals were jagged and prismic in shape, held together by silver wiring, and it looked as if he'd created it himself. It was bizarre, almost sinister looking, but at the same time it glittered in a pretty, lethal sort of way.

"What the-" Maya started looking a little stunned by Hank cut her off.

"I have spent decades, creating the most extensive underground information network the mythological world has ever seen." He said rifling through books, throwing them to the floor in frustration when he didn't seem to find what he was looking for. "And I'll be damned if it won't be able to find one freakishly powerful little girl. Ah."

He pulled a book off a shelf and I heard a 'thunk' as some sort of mechanism was released, opening a panel in the wall.

"You are looking at my life work." He said gruffly, reaching into the secret compartment and tossing a battered leather book onto the table with a heavy 'thud.' Dust rose off the cover, causing Maya to sneeze, but again he ignored her.

"Every contact I have that is worth anything is in there." He said giving the book a pointed look and Maya reached for it.

"You know all these people…?" She asked weakly as she flipped through the pages. The book was massive and looked as it had been added to and edited over the years.

Photos and illustrations of contacts covered the pages, as well as information about them. Aliases, known family and friends, debts they owed him… weaknesses.

"Yes," he said answering Maya's question bringing me back to the present and our current situation. "I know all of them, and most of them owe me a favor in some way, shape, or form. We're going to talk to them all until we get a lead. A kid as powerful as Evelyn don't just disappear." He glowered at the book. "Someone has got to know something."

"Alright. But how?" Maya asked sounding a little overwhelmed. The codex ranged from local nymphs to Olympians themselves. "It's not like we can just go around knocking on doors. Even if we had Ev and her ability to shadow travel, this would take forever."

Hank didn't answer, instead walked over to the safe and opened it.

"Like this." He said reaching for a light switch while kicking over the safe and I was stunned to see an avalanche of gold drachmas slide on to the floor as the lights went off. The chandelier flared into life, throwing patches of rainbow all over the room.

"Iris messages." he said grabbing a fist full of coins and tossing them on to the table.

We each grabbed a few coins and Maya turned a few more pages, clearly trying to find someone she thought would be a likely candidate and I saw just how extensive his records were. He'd even classified how much of a threat each person he perceived to be. My heart faltered as Maya stopped on a page with familiar face.

It was Ev. The picture was dated, taken several years ago by the look of it, but there was no question that it was her. She looked to be barely older than eleven or twelve, her dark hair in high pigtails which only highlighted her age. This must have been before her switch to band shirts or her irritation at being photographed, because her t shirt was light pink and looked as if it had been dragged through a battle field. She was smiling brightly at the camera, her fingers held up in the peace symbol. Gauze was patched to her cheek and the wrist that was in frame was wrapped with medical tape.

I realized this must have been when they'd first met, after their run in with the minotaur, because she was obviously sitting at the bar. While the picture was old, the information on the page was not. Under the name 'Evelyn "Emerald" Blake' were several lines of text, all information he'd gathered about her over the years. Quests and missions she'd been a part of, Gods who liked her, Gods who didn't. People who owed her favors. All the favors he'd done for her. He even knew about her oath with Micah.

That made me uneasy.

How did he know all this? Had she really told him what her father called her? Or had he figured it out? And if so, how had he?

I glanced up at Hank cautiously, surprised he'd felt the need to keep tabs on a little kid, even if she was a daughter of one of the Big Three.

Next to her name was a classification, in bolded leaders so it couldn't be missed.

' **DANGEROUS** : Powerful. To be watched.'

This shocked me. Hank was her friend, or at least he pretended to be. He'd known her since she was this goofy little girl in the picture and I felt my stomach twist. Despite the fact he was currently trying to find her, he didn't trust her. He never had. Even when she was so young.

Maya shook her head, apparently trying to collect herself as she turned the page, but not before I read what was at the very bottom.

'Weaknesses/Points of Pressure: Loved ones (Family & friends)'

There was a list of people Evelyn knew, each with an explanation of who they were and how close they were to her. He didn't have all her friends, but he definitely had the major players including Micah, and Maya, which, I realized anxiously, he'd failed to mention he already knew. Nick and her mother were on there as well.

A pang of surprise went through me as I saw the last entry. It was written in a different color and letters showed no signs of fading. As if it had been written recently.

'Aphrodite boy?'

Hank clearly had had no idea who I was before today and I wondered if that was why Evelyn had refused to tell him. Maybe that was why he'd looked so annoyed. Had she known he was keeping tabs on her like this? Or had just guessed he'd had some sort of records system for his network and didn't want to get me involved. Either way I guess it didn't matter. It looked as if it was too late now.

"Start with people who have ties to both Olympus and the Underworld." Hank instructed breaking me from this line of thought. "Focus on minor gods and relatively unimportant names if you can. People tend to be a little more careless with what they say around people they don't think are that important, if any rumors are spreading, it will be going through them." He grimaced before saying. "And if we're dealing with a major player here, we don't want them to know we're asking questions."

"A major player?" Maya asked quizzically.

"He means a major God." I said quietly, feeling my body go cold.

'An Olympian.' My mind added bitterly, because who else could it be? No sane being from the Underworld would take a child of Hades.

Maya must have been thinking along the same lines, because she glanced at me for a second, an instinctual distrust entering her eyes before she quickly looked away.

"Get calling." Hank said quietly tossing a coin into the nearest spectrum, reciting the offering, and naming one of the nymphs.


	27. Chapter 27

Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a good weekend! I've been writing like crazy and have some time off this week so I'm hoping to get a lot done! As always thank you for all the positive feedback and support whether it's messages/ reviews/favorites/follows, it really means a lot and keeps me motivated to keep writing/devoting time to the story. As always, hope you enjoy the chapter. I'm hoping to update with the next one in the next few days!

~Secrethalfblood

Cpov

In the end, it took just over an hour to find a lead. Maya managed to connect with a dryad who'd heard from another nature spirit there had been a surge of Underworld power in the Midwest that hadn't been explained. No one seemed to have a good idea of what was going on or where exactly it was coming from, but it was the foothold Hank needed. The next two hours was spent going down several rabbit holes of connections that eventually led us to the same conclusion. Evelyn was in an abandoned factory in Kansas.

He'd been aware that people had been talking about Evelyn over the past week or so, saying she was out in the mortal world and not as focused as she usually was. That she'd already had one close call with a monster, and argued with her father. He'd said the underlying theme of the chatter was all the same. Evelyn was distracted, and if someone wanted to make a move on the daughter of Hades, the time was now.

It looked as if someone did.

Maya had told me not to feel guilty, that powerful demigods like Evelyn always ran into issues and had someone after them eventually, but they'd never manage to catch up with her before. Not until she'd gotten involved with me.

"Jeez, this place is creepy." she said as we stepped out of the chariot. "Who on earth would want to camp out here?"

I didn't disagree with her. It was early in the morning, not quite dawn yet and we were in the middle of a field. Before us was what looked like a cereal factory that had gone out of use years ago. I recognized a logo I'd seen in supermarkets all over the world for a cornflake-esque brand fading on the brick over the entrance. The windows were broken and barred and ivy had taken over the walls in several places. The asphalt and concrete that surrounded the building was cracked, determined weeds poking through to the surface. The place looked like a lair, the sort of building a serial killer in a horror movie would keep their victims after kidnapping them.

"I might have a guess." I said quietly, pointing to an image on one of the smoke stacks. Glittering in the moonlight was an emblem made of battered bronze in the shape of a scythe and a wheat stem.

"Demeter?" she asked sounding a little confused. "What could she possibly want with Evelyn?"

"Probably nothing. Well, other than to use her." I said coldly, my tone acidic. "I'll bet anything this has to do with Persephone and Ev just got caught in the crossfire."

"My information supports that theory." Hank's voice interrupted, blaring from the speaker of my cell phone. He'd stayed behind, continuing to feed us information after Maya and I had taken her chariot to where we suspected we'd find Evelyn. I knew it was dangerous to be using the thing and monsters were no doubt tracking the signal as we spoke, but I wanted to get any and all information the second he had it and the surrounding area was almost unsettlingly flat. We'd see anything coming for miles.

"No one wants to be the one to name names," Hank's voice continued. "But from people are _not_ saying. It looks as if Karmanor was the one to grab our unlucky princess."

Maya wrinkled her nose at this title, but let it go and asked.

"Why would he do this? He's a minor agriculture god. Ev's got nothing to do with that."

"Well, again, it's all unconfirmed but if I had to guess, Demeter wants to use Evelyn as leverage against Hades." He responded. "Try to force him to let his queen spend more time outside the Underworld. A daughter for a daughter situation, you know?" His tone was terse. "It's not the first time this particular rumor has reached me, but this is the first time someone's managed to get their hands on Ev. My guess, Demeter heard she was vulnerable then sent her husband to snatch her up. Ev would have noticed someone like Demeter coming for her long before she actually got there, a minor god though..."

His voice trailed off and I frowned.

"Did Ev know about this?" I asked surprised she hadn't said anything.

"Yes, I made her aware. But she's got so many targets on her back I don't think she ever took Demeter that seriously."

"Of course not." I said with a grimace, rubbing my face with my hand. Of course Evelyn would have so many problems, she couldn't be bothered with the major Olympian who was gunning for her. "Well, do you have anything else for us?"

"No." Hank said. "I'll keep putting out feelers, but as of right now that's all I got."

"Alright, I'm gonna get off the line. Let us know if you hear anything else."

"Will do."

The call ended and I saw Maya was frowning.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's just..." she hesitated. "I don't like that guy very much."

"Hank?"

"Yeah." She said quietly and seemed to debate for a second. "I just... I don't like that he has a book of people who owe him favors just chilling in his back room, especially when it includes a list of things to manipulate them with."

Her frown increased, and her brow furrowed.

"I don't like that Evelyn is in it either. And I don't like that he seems to know her really well, yet we've never heard of him."

"He's helping us." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but how much you want to bet you and I have a page in that book now?" she asked raising an eyebrow and giving me a significant expression. "How long do you think it will be before we get an iris message, and he wants to call in some favors?"

"I dunno. Maybe that's exactly why Ev didn't tell anyone for as long as she did." I said a little uncomfortable. "But we should get moving. Monsters will be coming, and we should try to find her before they get here."

"You're right."

But before we could take a single step, I spotted something in the distance.

I motioned for her to stay still and pointed to the dot in the sky. It was too dark to make out what it was, but it was too low for a plane, and to big to be a bat or a bird. What I could tell however, with anxiety uncoiling from my chest into my bloodstream, was that was approaching with rapid speed.

"What do you think?" she asked nervously as I reached for my sword. "Gryphons? Harpies?"

"I'm not sure." I said honestly. It looked too big to be either, but it was still too dark to see clearly. The next thing I knew, we were diving for cover as whatever it was, almost crash landed on top of us.

There was a moment where I heard what sounded like distressed whinnies and a voice trying to calm the horses they'd come from. But the voice was familiar, and when I looked up, I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Micah?" Maya asked sounding totally confused as we got to our feet.

"Maya, where the hell have you been?" he asked sounding scared. "This isn't anywhere near your search coordinates. Why did you leave the rest of your team behind?"

He then spotted me and froze, a look of stunned, genuine surprise crossing his features before it turned into one of rage.

"What the _hell_ is he doing here?" He glared at his girlfriend. "Why is he with you? What is going on?"

"We think we might have found Ev." She said quickly.

"Wait really?" He glanced around. "Here?"

She nodded and I could feel the range of emotions that was running through him like a rabbit on steroids. Anger, confusion, relief, excitement.

"Yeah."

"What on earth would she be doing here?"

"Demeter." I started, but he held up a hand as if to block out my image.

"You don't get to talk." He snarled then looked at Maya, and while he still looked annoyed, his expression softened considerably when his gaze landed on her. "Catch me up to speed."

"I ran into Cass at camp earlier. He realized he might be able to help us find Ev and before you go off the rails again," she said when it was clear he wanted to interrupt. "He did. He took me to a friend of Evelyn who figured out where she might be. We think Demeter is behind taking her, and she's keeping her in there."

She nodded towards the factory and I saw him frown.

"Persophone?" he asked tersely.

"That's the prevailing assumption." I agreed a little annoyed with his attitude, even if I did understand it.

I knew Micah was Evelyn's best friend, but he could learn a thing or two about anger management from his girlfriend. Despite the fact that she probably hated my guts and just wasn't letting it show, I found actually sort of liked Maya. She was a kind person, and when Evelyn had gone missing, she hadn't let her emotions cloud her judgment like Micah. Unlike me, she hadn't wallowed. She'd been the one organizing the search parties, marshaling the Underworld kids, keeping everything together and I had to admit I was impressed. In fact, there might just happen to be another Underworld demigod that had made it on to the list of people I respected.

"Well it doesn't look heavily guarded." He said squinting and I knew he was using his abilities to search for The Mist or any other magical trickery which might be concealing any nasty surprises that could be waiting for us. "We might get lucky. Either way I'm glad I found you."

"Yeah, about that." She said suspiciously. "How did you find me?"

At this Micah looked a little uncomfortable, and I felt his anxiety shift into high gear.

"Oh, uh."

"What did you do?" Maya asked her eyes narrowing. She folded her arms over her chest and Micah let out a sigh.

"I might have possibly at some point put a tracking spell on your chariot…" he mumbled quickly, scratching the back of his head and not meeting her gaze.

"You did WHAT?" she asked angrily.

"I was going to do it to all of them." He said putting his hands up in an appeasing gesture. "No seriously I was." He added when she threw him a look that made it clear she didn't believe his words. "I just did yours first. But before I could do the rest, I noticed you took off. And don't look at me like that." He said defensively. "I was afraid someone might be going after Underworld kids, and if that was the case, I wanted to be able to know where everyone was when we were all split up. So we didn't end up in the same situation we're in now with Ev all over again. But when you went missing, and I noticed you weren't in the coordinate range for your next sweep, so I thought you were either in trouble or you'd found her. Either way, I wanted to give you back up."

"And this has nothing to do with him?" she asked pointing at me and Micah shrugged his palms still raised.

"To be honest, I didn't even realize Pretty Boy was gone."

I wasn't sure why this effected me, but it did. I wasn't surprised, and while I could understand Micah's complete indifference to me, it didn't feel good. Usually I wouldn't care what people thought about me, but maybe the fact that he was Evelyn's closest friend made a difference.

Maya stared at him for a full thirty seconds before she scowled and made a frustrated noise.

"You're lucky I love you." she muttered.

"I was worried about you, My." He said quietly but she continued to look stubborn.

"Yeah, I get it." she said and while she'd agreed, she didn't sound happy.

He must have picked up on it because when he continued, he sounded a little desperate.

"Losing track of Ev is bad enough, but if I lost you-"

"I know." She said cutting him off and she looked upset, as if she didn't want to think about it either.

I tried to ignore the emotions swelling between the two. It would have been obvious to me how much they cared about each other even if I wasn't a child of Aphrodite, and it was extremely awkward standing here, intruding on the moment.

Eventually, she shook her head and seemed to be trying to get passed it.

"Look, we're not done talking about this," Maya said giving Micah the look that every girlfriend seemed to perfect. The one that said 'I mean it'. "But we need to focus on finding Ev."

"Alright." He agreed.

He turned, suddenly seemed to remember I was here, then stiffened.

He pointedly ignored me and started walking towards the factory. He must have been trying very hard to ignore me, because in the process, he didn't notice the rustling in the grass.

"Micah!" Maya shouted in fear as something big and fast shot towards him

He let out a shout of surprise, but I'd already jumped forward, shoulder checking him out of the way before slicing the creature in half with my weapon.

The basilisk fell into the grass, it's poisonous body wilting the vegetation around it.

Micah looked at the monster, then at me with obvious shock. He then noticed the sword.

"Did Ev, give you that?" he asked sound stunned

"I've been trying to tell you that for days." Maya said helping him up, and his eyes narrowed. They were a darker blue than I'd ever seen them and hard as sapphires.

"That doesn't mean anything." He said with blatant spite, and maybe, just a little bit of hurt as well. It was clear that like Maya, he knew the weapon was significant to Evelyn, and he liked me having it even less than she did.

I didn't care. I wasn't here for his approval. I just wanted to find Ev.

"Let's go." I said walking passed them towards the factory.

The door was locked, but with a few simple spells, Micah was able to charm it open. The second it swung forward, my heart nearly fell out of my chest.

"Oh my gods." Maya said quietly, her hand covering her mouth and her eyes going wide.

Moonlight was filtering through the windows, illuminating the worn carpet in the hall as well as the deep red stain that had sunk into it. Splatters dotted down the corridor as if someone had been staggering. A hand print was on the white wall, but it was smudged, as if the person who'd put it there had slipped and tried to steady themselves.

My body went cold as I tried to make sense of what my eyes were telling me because no. It wasn't, that couldn't be...

"It's not blood." Micah said inspecting the print, scratching at it as whatever the red stuff was flaked off. "I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not blood."

"Look at this." Maya said darkly.

We both turned to see her straightening, holding something between her palms that she must have picked up. I noticed whatever it was, had stained the tips of her fingers red.

"A pomegranate?" Micah asked and a bitter, jaded part of me wanted to laugh at the irony, the other, wanted to find a target and throw the pomegranate at it as hard as I could. Demeter seemed like a good candidate.

"Don't you get it?" I asked bitterly taking the fruit from Maya to inspect. It was shriveled and starting to rot. "This isn't here for us. It's for Hades to find."

It was Demeter's idea of a messed-up joke.

I looked down the hall to see several decaying, no _dying_ , pomegranates littered the hall, as if they'd been tossed carelessly away by the one who left them. I had a feeling they would lead us right to what we wanted to find.

"That's twisted." Maya said softly.

"And people think _we're_ the freaks." Micah growled.

I knew when he said 'people' he was including me, but prejudices aside, I had to agree with him. Evelyn was an innocent by standard in the mess between Hades and Demeter, and while he might not have been faultless in this whole ordeal, I couldn't see Hades ever doing something like this. He at least loved his wife and had tried to make her happy. Demeter on the other hand, well, she was just being cruel.

We followed the trail of spoiled fruit, crossing through hallways, climbing up stairs, and passed the giant metal processing machines in the main part of the plant, each pomegranate looking more shriveled and disgusting than the last.

Finally, we reached one that was so withered, it was entirely black and had shrunk to about half its size.

"Death." Micah spat bitterly, commenting on the imagery we were obviously supposed to pick up on.

The shriveled fruit was in front of a massive bronze door, and I realized this must have been why Evelyn couldn't reach us. She was trapped. Whatever this room was made of, it was obviously keeping her from getting out.

"Be careful." Maya said as Micah reached for the handle, only to find it was unlocked.

He turned and I winced as I was hit by what felt like a tidal wave of light.

The walls, which I assumed must have been the same bronze as the door, only painted over, were a blinding white, with industrial strength LED rods fixed into all of them, as well as the ceiling and floor. There were no shadows and I quickly realized the door didn't have a handle on the inside.

Evelyn was slumped in the corner, her eyes closed, pale as death. She looked like a ghost.

"Ev." I said softly in horror, but when I went I stepped towards her, I felt something collide with me.

"Maya!" Micah said in panic as I steadied her. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She said weakly, wincing slightly as she looked up. "It's just… it's really bright."

I noticed he looked a little strained to and I realized, this amount of light might be difficult for the two Underworld demigods, especially a child of Nyx.

"I'm fine." She repeated shaking her head and seeming to get her bearings, bracing herself against me for just a moment as she found her feet.

I barely felt it, I was too busy staring at Evelyn feeling terror crashing into me from all angles.

She was on her side, completely limp, covered in bruises and cuts, her skin as white as a sheet. She didn't seem to be breathing.

"Please no." I said terror consuming me as I started forward, but Micah pushed me out of his way as he and Maya rushed and knelt next to her

"She's ice cold." Maya said leaning over Evelyn, putting a hand to her face then to her neck. What she said next shot ice through me, piercing my heart like a knife. "Micah, I can't feel a pulse. She can't be… Oh gods, she's not-"

"No." he said cutting her off and shaking his head. He took Evelyn's hand and turned it so her palm was exposed. Like Maya's in the hall, her fingertips had been stained red and it looked as if she'd been holding something.

"Death Trance." He muttered propping Evelyn up against one of the walls then adding bitterly. "Seems like Demeter wasn't the only one with pomegranate at her disposal."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Micah ignored me but Maya explained.

"It's a defense mechanism for the children of Hades." She said as she tore open what looked like a homemade emergency kit from the bag Micah had brought and covered Evelyn in a space blanket. "It's a state of suspended animation where they can survive without even the most basic functions like eating or breathing. Sort of like hovering between life and death."

"Why would she do that to herself?" I asked horrified.

"Doesn't look like she was being fed." Micah said darkly glaring around the room.

"She was buying time." Maya said softly looking at Evelyn.

"Five seeds left." Micah said matter of factly as he held up a small bag with blood red seeds clustered together in the corner, he seemed to do some quick mental calculations before continuing with. "If she was carrying her usual amount she should wake up soon."

He gave her shoulder a shake, but she didn't respond.

"C'mon Ev." He said quietly shaking her with more force. "Wake up. We've got to get out of here."

Still no response.

"Ev." He said sounding a little panicked now, shaking her harder still.

"Take it easy Micah." I said angrily.

"You have no right to talk Pretty Boy." He snarled glaring over his shoulder at me. "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be in this mess."

"She could have more injuries." I protested. "You could be making things worse."

"Well what do you suggest?" He spat. "We need to get out of here."

"Move." I said and it was my turn to push him out of the way as I knelt next to her.

He made an indignant splutter, but Maya must have sent him a look or done something because that was all he did.

I quickly looked her over, checking for any signs of damage that might indicate broken bones or internal bleeding or something worse, and while I wasn't a child of Apollo, she looked ok. I mean, apart from the fact that she was apparently more than half dead.

I put my hand to her face. Gods Maya was right, her skin was ice cold. But the second my thumb brushed her cheek, her eyelids fluttered, and a pang of shock went through me.

"Ev?" I asked quickly, my pulse racing as she let out a soft, almost confused sounding groan.

"Evelyn, it's Cass." I said, the words almost tripping over each other in my haste to get them out. "Can you hear me?"

As if her name was a stimulant, it seemed as if the force of life was flooding back into her body. It was no longer limp and after a few, agonizingly slow seconds, her dark eyes flickered open.

"Cass?" she asked quietly and I heard Maya let out a cry of relief.

Evelyn's was voice raspy and weak, but her expression was no longer blank. She still sounded confused but I felt the ice around my heart shatter as she'd said my name.

"Oh thank gods." I said taking her face between my hands as she fumbled with the space blanket.

"What the-what is this?" she asked trying to tear it off, her eyes unfocused. "Where-"

"Slow down." I catching her hands and wrapping the blanket more securely around her. Her skin was still so cold.

"Cass what happened?" she asked looking around and wincing at the light. "The last thing I remember was being at the spring… now I'm here. Where…?"

She blinked and glanced over my shoulder.

"Micah? Maya?" she asked in complete surprise. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I think you might have eaten one too many seeds Ev." Micah said letting out a terse, but relieved laugh. "Your head's all messed up."

"Wha-" She started but must have understood what he'd said half way through her response, because she cut herself short. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few days." Micah said with a shrug, and I kind of wanted to hit him for how casual he made it sound, as if the last few days hadn't been a living hell, but I focused on Evelyn.

"Feels like longer." she muttered rubbing her head before looking back at me.

"Are you ok?" she asked before I could and I stared at her when I realized she was genuinely concerned.

"You have got to stop asking me that when you're on death's door."

"I'm always on death's door," she said dismissively, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall. "I'm more worried about what you had to do to get here. How'd you find me?"

"I might have sold my information to Hank and his book of blackmail."

"Shit." She muttered.

"But I'm fine." I said brushing the hair from her face and she opened her eyes to look at me. "It's a small price to pay."

She didn't look convinced. In fact, she scowled.

"I'm burning that thing as soon as I get my hands on it."

"Oh no." Maya interjected sternly and Evelyn looked at her, apparently surprised by her tone. "You are not burning anything. You are going to the infirmary. We're going to put up black out curtains and turn off all the lights until you're completely healed."

"Going to make me eat my veggies and start taking multivitamins too My?" Evelyn asked with a quicksilver grin. "Gonna give me a bed time?"

"I might." She said her eyes narrowing and Evelyn laughed, but it turned into series of wheezing coughs.

"Gods you sound like crap Ev." Micah said with a frown.

"Well at least I don't look like it."

"Oh don't worry, you do."

"Well that makes us even then." She said and while she looked exhausted, I was glad to see she at least had the energy and the mental presence to joke.

"Shut up both of you." Maya said sounding exasperated. "We need to get out of here. Before-"

But Evelyn's eyes went wide as the loud noise of screeching metal cut Maya off.

She tore off the blanket and threw out her hand. A shadow from the hall darted between the door and the frame just as it was about to slam shut.

Shocked, we all turned to see a figure dart past the door clearly running down the hall and before anyone could stop her, Evelyn was on her feet.

"Ev!" Maya said as Micah and I ran after her, but it was too late.

Stumbling, but determined, she'd made it out of the room only to cage the beautiful woman down the hall in a web of shadows.

"I don't think so." Evelyn said and though her voice was weak, and her body was shaking with the effort of maintain the makeshift prison, the shadows didn't retreat.

"Lock me up, fine." She spat. "But you don't involve my friends."

The woman turned, her long golden hair swaying like the skirts of her dark green dress as she moved. Her lip curled into a sneer and her warm brown eyes hardened as they landed on Evelyn. She emanated a soft, light green glow, like the color of new grass, and while features were stunning, her expression was cold.

"Rather bold of you to be giving orders to an Olympian don't you think? Then again, I guess my brothers were always fond of bossing people around, but Hades might have been the worse." She smirked. "Clearly the putrid apple doesn't fall far from the withered tree."

Evelyn stepped forward, clearly angry but didn't make it far. She staggered and had to brace herself against the wall.

"Oh please." Demeter said with a light, condescending laugh.

She snapped her fingers and Evelyn was thrown back into Micah who'd moved to help her. They flew several feet, crashing into the ground. Maya, who'd just stepped out of the room ran after them, was thrown even farther.

I glanced at Demeter, half expecting to be sent flying as well, but she ignored me. She continued to glower at Evelyn.

"You little girl, might be an _irritatingly_ resilient demigod." She said her voice heavy with disdain as she stepped forward causing the shadows around her dissolve. "But don't for a second forget your place in the world. You and all your little Underworld friends," the sneer returned. "And all those who draw their power from that filthy world of decay. Who kneel to a criminal. Profit from a king who steals what he wants. Taking whatever he likes from those who-"

"Shut up!" Evelyn muttered angrily as she pushed herself off the floor. Micah tried to hold her back, but she threw him off her eyes locking onto Demeter.

"What did you say?" the goddess asked looking offended and a little off guard, but it was clear Evelyn didn't care.

"I said shut up." She spat darkly, struggling back to her feet.

Her body was still trembling, and her breathing was labored, but her gaze was steady.

"I am so sick of people like you." she continued bracing an arm against the wall, but she didn't look quite as exhausted. She just looked pissed. "Of the Underworld being blamed for everyone's problems. I'm so tired of the Olympians blaming my family and my friends for everything that goes wrong every time they screw up. Then turn around expecting me to fix it for you."

She wasn't shaking anymore, and her voice was going stronger. Her hands were clenched into fists and as she started to walk towards Demeter, shadows stretched to her. Dark energy radiated around Evelyn, but unlike every time I'd seen it before, it wasn't cold. It didn't seem to be reactionary. This wasn't a defense mechanism tied to emotions of anxiety, rejection, or fear. No, this felt powerful, powerful and raw. It was a true death aura and it was intimidating. I wasn't surprised when Demeter took a step back.

"You want to know why Persephone stayed?" Evelyn asked her tone measured. "It was because she wanted to. My father didn't make her do anything. She wanted to get away from _you_."

"How dare you!"

"Oh I'm just getting started." Evelyn snapped, heat radiating off her as she continued to move towards the goddess. But unlike the times before, when Evelyn had claimed her friends had been scared of her, Maya and Micah seemed to be drawing power from her aura. They were back on their feet, fire at his fingertips, darkness, creeping towards Maya from down the hall.

I saw the LED lights in the room that had so recently been holding Evelyn captive, flicker and die.

"If we're so putrid coming from the Underworld, I'd be afraid to hear what you'd call your daughter, the _queen_ of the realm you so despise." Evelyn said her scandalized tone heavy with sarcasm. "And she _chose_ to be there. A nice pristine Olympian goddess, _chose_ to leave your stupid shiny city up in the clouds. In fact." She gave Demeter a sinister smile. "I'd go as far to say she's just as much Underworld as we are. Maybe even more."

"You insolent-"

But her words were drown out by a roar of flames, as jet black fire burst into existence in the hall.

"What the-"

I started as both Maya and, to my very great surprise, Micah, dragged me back.

"Was that Ev?" I asked.

"No." Maya said her eyes going wide. "Evelyn's never been able to control hellfire, no matter how many times she's tried."

"DEMETER!" a voice roared and I felt my stomach sink through the floor as a man appeared in the flames. "HOW _DARE_ YOU TRY TO MANIPULATE ME THROUGH MY DAUGHTER!"

Micah and Maya shrank closer together as Hades came into view, but Evelyn didn't even flinch. She continued to glare at the goddess who was backing away, her eyes as hard as her father's and I didn't care what she, or anyone else said. As she stood there, next to her father the King of the Underworld, there was no doubt in my mind that Evelyn was royalty and if given the chance, she could wield that authority as easily as her weapon.

"You and your friends should go." He said glancing at Evelyn who returned his gaze, but for once, the silent conversation they seemed to be having wasn't tense. "I need to have a word with my little sister."

Demeter sneered at this mention of her, but while most everyone was distancing themselves from the King, Evelyn didn't look scared. There seemed to be a sense of understanding between them because after a moment, she nodded.

"Alright." She said quietly.

Hades raised his hand and the shadows around us stretched into a dark arch way. It took me a second, but eventually I realized that he was intending for us to shadow travel, probably back to camp.

"The chariots." Maya mumbled feebly, her voice barely above a squeak and Hades sighed.

"I'll have them attended to."

"Thanks Dad." Evelyn said quietly.

She hesitated, glancing back at him as if she wanted to say something more, but decided against it at the last second.

Instead, she cleared her throat a little awkwardly, then stepped into the shadows. She was quickly followed by Maya and Micah, and I was about to step into the portal to make the jump when I hesitated. I felt the need to say something to him but I wasn't sure what.

Thanks for saving us? Sorry it was my mission that led to your daughter getting captured? Oh, by the way, I'm sort of dating your daughter and starting to realize I'm falling in love with her?

Probably not the best of options. But as it turned out it, wouldn't matter what I said, because Hades wasn't paying attention to me.

He was looking at the archway, as if he could see thought it after his daughter and her friends. He sighed and shook his head.

"I love you too my little gem." he muttered. "Even if you won't say it."

Again, I found myself wanting to speak, but I had no idea what to say.

"You should leave, son of Aphrodite." He said calmly, but his eyes were blazing with anger as he turned towards Demeter who was glaring right back. "Things have the potential to get very exciting within the next few minutes."

"Thanks." I said quietly before stepping into arch and the now familiar sensation of shadow traveling.

As I stepped out of the shadows, I realized I'd left one potential battle and stepped into another. I surfaced from the darkness only to see people were shouting and for some reason weapons were out.

"What the hell?" I asked looking around to see I'd stepped into the middle of a ring of campers that with each passing second, was growing into a crowd.

It was early morning at camp, and it looked as if we'd interrupted something that had transpired on the transition to breakfast.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU YOU PSYCHOPATH?" Micah shouted and I realized he was shouting at Broderick. "HE COULD HAVE HURT HER!"

A brief analysis of the situation told me one of Broderick's brothers had gotten into a fight with one of the younger kids from the Hypnos cabins, and Micah had unintentionally shadow traveled right into the middle of it. He was standing in front of the little redhead who was in tears.

"No one asked you to get involved witch kid." Broderick said nastily. "He told her to get out of his way. She should have moved faster."

People were shifting uneasily, their eyes automatically darting towards Evelyn who I expected to intervene, but I noticed she was leaning against Maya. She was still so pale and it looked as if she was trying to ignore discomfort. Clearly confronting Demeter had sapped what little power she'd had in reserve after being captured.

"I'm done with this." Micah said through gritted teeth as people started to whisper. "I'm done letting you push us around! Control your cabin Broderick!"

"No please?" he asked sarcastically and fire enveloped around Micah's fists. "You know, you and your freak friends aren't very polite. If you're going to ask for favors, at least do it nicely."

"I wasn't asking." Micah growled. "If you don't reign them in, then we will."

It looked as if all tension that had been building between the Underworld and Olympian campers had finally hit the flashpoint. Already, as if they did it without thinking, Broderick and Evelyn's friends started to move into formations, closing ranks and squaring off for a fight. I had to stop this.

I looked over the crowd and locked eyes with Angela, who looked worried.

"Get Chiron!" I ordered letting go of the fact I was furious with her for the moment. "Now!"

She nodded, gave Broderick and Micah a frightened look, then shot off towards the Big House.

"And what exactly do you think you're going to do?" Broderick asked with a cruel laugh. "Look around freak." He gestured towards the crowd around us, many of which had weapons out and were closing in. "You're outnumbered."

But I found as I looked around, despite the fact that several people had their weapons out, most people didn't look angry. Some people did, but the rest looked wary, as if they didn't want to be in this situation, and despite the fact she hadn't done anything yet, most of the people weren't looking at Broderick or Micah. They were looking at Ev.

"The only reason you and your friends haven't been stomped into the ground is because you've been hiding behind the Underfreak. But your shield's looking pretty battered right now Micah." He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "I doubt she could protect you from one of the satyrs in her condition, let alone me. Back down before you and your pathetic little friends get hurt."

They glared at each other for a good thirty seconds before Micah glanced at the little Hypnos girl, then at Ev, and let out a frustrated noise.

"That's what I thought." Broderick said smugly as Micah turned, his jaw set, but clearly ready to walk away. "Go crawl back to the shadows where you and your freak friends belong."

"Let it go Micah." Evelyn said quietly as he halted, his knuckles cracking from how tightly his fingers were clenched.

He might have been able to, if Broderick had ever learned to keep his mouth shut.

"We might keep a few of you around though." He jeered. "You know, for target practice."

"THAT'S IT!" Micah roared turning, throwing a fist and an column of purple flames rose between him and Broderick.

"No!" Evelyn, Maya, and I shouted, but I was surprised to hear a fourth voice, and even more surprised when not one, but two figures darted towards the boys.

Maya had dropped Evelyn who swayed, and grabbed Micah, trying to drag him away from Broderick, who seemed to be struggling against someone as well. As the flames started to die, I saw it was April.

I caught Evelyn just in time to hear Maya yelling at Micah.

"Calm down!" she said frantically as April simultaneously tried to reason with Broderick.

"No!" Micah shouted. "I'm done putting up with him! With all of them! They've been asking for it for years!"

"Come and get it then freak!" Broderick yelled with the same cocky grin all the Ares kids got when anticipating a fight.

He held out his hand and I saw one of his brothers toss him his new spear. Both boys had managed to break freak of the girls and were facing each other, sizing each other up.

More people were shouting now, a few of Broderick and Micah's friends showing their support, but most were terrified, pleading for the boys to stop.

Someone had to do something. Bring these idiots to their senses. There was no way a fight between them would end well. Despite his powerful magic, Micah didn't stand a chance when it came to one on one close combat. That was Broderick's specialty, and he had his new weapon. Where was Chiron? Someone had to stop this.

And yet, I knew who would. And I knew she was in no condition to. I glanced at Evelyn's who's eyes were locked on the pair. Calculating.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Broderick said darkly, then he lunged and several things happened at once.

A shadow darted towards Evelyn, and I grabbed her as she stepped into it.

The second we landed in front of Micah, I pushed them out of the way and turned, meaning to talk to Broderick, only to feel a searing pain in my chest, right under my heart.

"What the-" Broderick said his eyes going wide, backing away in horror as I heard a scream.

I recognized the voice. It was Angela's and I heard hooves.

"Get back!" Chiron's voice shouted and as I fell to my knees, feeling fire ignite in my chest.

My blood seared as the pain started to spread and that moment, I knew Broderick hadn't been lying. The spear had been poisoned. And if he really hadn't been lying, I knew I was as good as dead.

"Cass?" This voice was Evelyn's who sounded confused as Broderick spluttered.

"He, he wasn't there just a second ago." he sounded stunned, unable to process the situation as he stared at me, his eyes wide with shock. "I-I wasn't going to actually- I just wanted to scare. I didn't mean…"

But his voice faded or I'd tuned him out. I had other problems.

I knew the second the poison hit my heart, because the flames that had been contained to my chest, now engulfed my entire body.

"Cass!"

I collapsed and felt my body shudder as I started to groan. I'd never felt pain like this. Not even when I'd almost burned alive. It felt as if every nerve in my body had been set on fire or dipped in acid, and all my organs stabbed with jagged glass.

Someone had caught me and from a distance, I heard Evelyn's voice say.

"No, no, no, no."

She must have guided me to the ground, because she was looking down at me now. Her eyes darting over me frantically, apparently trying to assess the situation.

"He's bleeding. Oh gods, what's wrong with him? Why is he shaking like that?"

I felt her finger tips brush my skin as she pushed my hair out of my face.

"Cass? Can you hear me?"

She sounded panicked and I wanted to answer her but I couldn't. Though I was gasping for air, my lungs didn't seem to be working. I couldn't breathe.

I was hit with another convulsion, as if each of my muscles had been administered a massive electric shock and her eyes went wide.

"We need a medic!" she shrieked looking up, but no one around us moved.

"Don't just stand there!" she yelled her eyes darting frantically around the crowd that was completely silent. Everyone looking at me, their emotions ranging from pity to fear. Several people looked like they were going to be sick.

"Someone do something!" Evelyn shrieked.

She didn't know.

Broderick hadn't shut up about this stupid weapon and it's lethal combination of poisons for the last few days, but she hadn't been here to hear it.

"There's nothing they can do." A voice, Maya's, said softly and I heard a strangled sob. Probably Angela, it sounded like her.

I groaned as another wave of agony washed over me, and I lost track of the conversation for a moment, but someone must have told Evelyn because when I surfaced, she was looking back at me.

"No. No that can't be right." she said stubbornly and I was surprised to see tears welling in her eyes. "Cass c'mon. Don't do this to me…"

Her voice broke as they slid down her cheeks.

"C'mon Pretty Boy." She whispered. "Don't do this. Stay with me."

Her eyes met mine, but I knew that as much as she didn't want to believe what everyone else already knew, she could see it happening, because the next word came out with a sob, along with more tears.

"Please."

I wanted to tell her I would stay, that I wanted to, but my thoughts were sluggish and slow, as if someone had dropped my brain in a puddle of cement. It was starting to shut down.

"Don't leave me." She whispered her hand finding mine and squeezing hard. "Just stay. Please just-"

Her words were echoing now, and my vision started to blur. Sound was slower as darkness creeped in from the corner of my eyes. I couldn't hear her now, her mouth was still moving, but it made no sense to me.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind I was aware of what was happening. My body was going cold and vaguely I wondered if I should be afraid, but I couldn't bring myself to be. I just looked up at Evelyn. If she was the last thing I saw, well, I was alright with that. She looked terrified but I wished she would smile. I wouldn't mind if her smile was the last thing I'd see.

I was starting to lose feeling in my limbs, but before the numbness took over complexly, I reached up and rested my hand on her cheek. The last thing I felt was her hand cover it, her fingers threading with mine.

I think I said her name, but I couldn't be sure.

My vision blurred completely then went dark. The last thing I heard was a shout, heart broken and terrified.

"Cass!"


	28. Chapter 28

Cpov

When I woke up, I was in a room. Well, maybe waking up wasn't the right word for it. All I knew was that there was nothing, and then I was here. I was standing and while I was aware of my surroundings, I had no idea where they'd come from or how I'd gotten here. It was if my brain had been offline for a bit, but then switched it back on. I didn't even know how much time had passed.

I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. The room was entirely white, no windows or doors, but unlike the room Demeter had used to trap Evelyn, there didn't seem to be any lights either. It was as if the light was just present, existing without a source.

To my left was a small square table, with two mundane chairs set on opposing sides, all black. To my right was a mirror.

I glanced in it.

I looked the same as I usually did. Attractive from all angles like a son of Aphrodite should be, but unlike in the past, I felt no reaction to my reflection. No sense of arrogant pride or resigned irritation. It just was. There was one interesting thing I noticed however. My shirt had been torn, the edges of the tear were stained with blood, enough blood to convince me that whatever injury it came from must have been pretty serious.

I glanced down at my chest touching it, but it didn't hurt. Though the shirt looked rough, the skin under it was unblemished.

I frowned as memories presented themselves to my mind's eye, but I seemed to be alright.

It was then I noticed the clothes folded next to the mirror.

It was a suit. I examined it for a moment, a little confused. Not knowing what else to do, I put it on noticing as I did, that it fit perfectly. It was well made, dark gray, Italian cut, and current. It was exactly my style with a white shirt, silver cufflinks, and a dark tie. Why I was in room with no exits that magically produced clothes, I wasn't sure, but as I straightened my tie in the mirror. I suddenly knew what I was supposed to do.

Without really thinking about it, I went and sat in the nearest chair at the table. Waiting. I wasn't sure for what, but when I looked up from adjusting my cufflinks, I was unsurprised to find I was no longer alone. Nor was I surprised to see the man sitting in front of me.

He too was in a suit, but his was black, because of course it was black, and he regarded me in a way that reminded me very much of his daughter. His eyes were impossible to read.

"So," he said with a sigh, placing a glittering object on the table between us where it rested. It was small, but I felt the weight of its meaning filling the space between us. "She gave you the coin."

I nodded as the impact of the situation really set in. Evelyn was right. It had taken me to her father, and now that I was sitting front of him I realized what that meant.

"Should have known she'd pass it off." He said with an apathetic expression, but there was something deliberate about his indifference that made it seemed forced. It made me wonder if he might have been hurt that his daughter had given away her time with him before she joined the Underworld, especially to a boy. A son of Aphrodite no less. "She's was always so preoccupied with the wellbeing of mortals." He frowned, as if he didn't quite understand this. "I wonder how many more she's managed to find." His eyes darted to mine. "How many more of you will be facing me over the next several years."

Part of me wondered if I should tell him I knew exactly how many of the coins were out there and who had them, but I quickly found I didn't care to. I wasn't sure it mattered, or would make a difference if I did so really, what was the point?

"So that's it then?" I asked quietly not entirely sure why I was so calm. "I'm dead?"

I probably should have been freaking out about it, or having at least some sort of reaction to the news but again, I didn't see the point. What was panicking going to do? It wasn't as if it was going to help. I was sure he had to deal with stubborn souls all the time, refusing to accept their situation, or pleading for him to change their fate. As far as I knew it had never worked, and I didn't think he was about to make any exceptions for me.

He didn't say anything and I scanned the room as I let out a soft, humorless laugh.

"Broderick really did end up killing me." I muttered feeling a bit of a jaded smile start to form as I added. "I wonder how many people had money on that."

Again, he didn't respond, but I didn't really care much what he thought right now. I simply looked at him.

He really did look like his daughter. The power that radiated from him was familiar, but I couldn't help but think no matter how similar they might appear, deep down, they weren't the same. While she could put up a good front, Evelyn wasn't nearly as cool or calculated as her father. She didn't truly detach like he did. I'd found in most cases; her calm was an act. She cared about people too much. A quality I assumed she must have gotten from her mother, given the indifference with which he was currently looking at me.

"She won't take it well." He said, sighing with resignation. "Your friend should fear for his life."

I felt a stab of irritation flare through me at the fact that even now, after he'd very much killed me, I was still associated with Broderick as a friend, but I didn't bother to challenge the term.

"Ev wouldn't hurt anybody." I said quietly and his eyes flashed.

"My daughter is less like her mother than you might think." He said quietly, and I wondered if he'd known what I'd been thinking just a few moments ago. "When she was younger, perhaps they were more similar, but you don't live the sort of life my daughter has and end up like her mother."

'You end up like me.'

He didn't say this, but he didn't have to. He sounded sad, and part of me wondered if, however many thousands of years ago, Hades had ever been like Evelyn. Unable to keep from caring about people, no matter how they treated her. And if so, how long had it taken for him to become this? Had he been hardened over the centuries in order to survive?

"Do you really think she couldn't hurt someone?" he asked lightly, but his eyes flashed. "You've seen what she can do."

"I said she wouldn't hurt Broderick, not that she couldn't." I countered a little annoyed. Why was Hades of all people arguing with me about this? "And yes, I've seen what Evelyn can do." I said remembering the night she'd brought me to the graveyard. "But I've also seen what she won't do. She wouldn't allow herself to hurt anyone, consciously or not. She wouldn't hurt-"

" _You_." He said cutting across my sentence, emphasizing the word and I frowned. "She wouldn't hurt _you_. But it wasn't that night to which I was referring." He said and once again, I found myself wondering if he knew more than what he was letting on about what was going on in my mind. Though, if the spirits had gone back to the Underworld, he might have heard what had happened.

"Then what are you talking about?" I asked feeling my brow furrow.

"You're a smart guy." He said surveying me in what looked like begrudging acknowledgement. "See if you can figure it out."

It took a few seconds, but eventually it came to me. The dream. The one I'd had before we'd left camp. The one that she'd seemed to be having for a while. The one she'd said made her terrified of herself.

"You've seen what happens when someone she cares about is threatened." He continued and Broderick's sister Vivian flashed into my memory, her face tear streaked and her expression terrified.

"She stopped." I said hesitantly.

Evelyn might have gone a little far, but to be honest, Vivian had deserved it. She was just trying to scare her. Make Vivian leave her friends alone.

"Did she?" Hades asked delicately.

"Yes."

"On her own?"

"Well…" I started awkwardly. "No. I mean, it after I said something, but-"

"But you're not there to say anything right now, are you?" he asked delicately, tilting his head in the direction of the wall to my right, and I saw an image shimmer to life.

As if the wall had turned to glass and they were right outside it, I saw the campers had gathered around Evelyn, Micah, Maya, Broderick and I. April was off to the side looking sick, Maya was crying, and Evelyn was still holding me. Or I guess my body. She wasn't crying anymore, but she was shaking.

"I don't need to see this." I said quietly.

I didn't want to see it.

"My apologies." He said, but his tone was bored and I could tell he didn't really mean it. "I'd gained the impression that you'd accepted your mortality."

"I don't care about that," I said shaking my head, realizing he thought I wasn't comfortable seeing my own lifeless body. "I-" I hesitated. "I just, don't want to see her." I said unable to say her name. "Not like this."

I didn't want to see Evelyn this upset. Not when there was nothing I could do about. She was still shaking, but didn't look like herself. It was hard to describe the expression she wore, if anything it was blank. As if she couldn't process what was happening. Like her personality had short circuited, and I wasn't sure what would be left when some part of her did return.

"I don't want you to see her like this." He said quietly. "I want you see what happens when she gets past this. When she accepts what happened."

"What do you mean?"

"Just watch." He said delicately.

Suddenly, a body dethatched from the crowd and rushed towards mine.

It was Angela. She was crying and looked on the edge of a nervous breakdown, but the second Evelyn saw movement coming towards her, her head snapped up along with her hand.

The earth erupted and Angela was thrown off her feet.

The tears were back, but her dark eyes were no longer sad. They were hard as steel, harboring an uncontrolled fury that had the ground shaking. Windows in the cabins shattered as she stood and people ran for cover. She ignored the fleeing campers her eyes searched the crowd and instantly I knew who she was looking for.

He didn't have a chance to run. Shadows caught Broderick, ensnaring him like sentient vines that slowly, dragged him inch by inch back to her.

Maya and Micah were herding their friends away as the ground around Evelyn continued to crack.

"Stop." I said quietly looking away from the scene, well aware he was watching me.

"This bothers you?"

"Yes."

"Because you're afraid?"

"Because that's not her." I said coldly, glaring at him.

"It's not her _yet_." He said softly something significant in hit tone. "As much as admire your abnormal ability to accept those who hail from my domain, there's more of me in Evelyn than I think you'd like to admit. Especially when it comes to protecting the people she cares about."

"That doesn't mean she would hurt someone. Just because she's powerful doesn't mean she's any different-"

"But that's exactly my point." He said cutting across me, his eyes unrelenting as they board into mine. "Evelyn is just like every other demigod in that camp that cares about her friends. And in that case, yes Cassian, she would hurt someone."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if Micah had killed someone, one of Broderick's friends. What do you think the first thing the son of Ares would do when he realized that friend wasn't coming back?"

"He'd lose it and probably try to kill something." I muttered. "Probably Micah."

At this he raised an eyebrow.

"So then you understand the gravity of the situation." He said matter of factly. "My daughter is _exactly_ like every other demigod in your camp. Attack someone she cares about, she'll attack back. The only difference is, when she loses control, she doesn't just get angry and wield a couple of heavy weapons. She has the potential to cause real destruction. Anyone who had her powers would."

He sighed.

"Emmy is no different than any other demigod before her. But unfortunately, a child of Hades is. But not for the reasons that most people would think."

I frowned, wanting to argue the point, but deciding to hear what he had to say. He was, after all, the King of the Underworld. If he of all people said there was something different about his children, I figured I should at least hear him out.

"Children of mine, and my brothers, are very unfortunate. Everyone expects them to be different. To use their fantastic abilities to help people, but never to lose control of them. They're expected to simultaneously wield fantastic power when it's needed, but lock it away when it's no longer convenient for others to deal with. They're supposed to protect people, but never to harm them. If a son of Ares loses his temper, he's just a hot head, maybe a bit violent, but manageable. If a child of Hades loses control, they're a monster. Demigods like my daughter have to walk the razor's edge between power and destruction, being a hero or a supernatural disaster." His eyes met mine, and they were wary, but not hostile. He looked as if he wanted to make me understand what he was trying to say. "Evelyn understands the position she's in, she has all her life, and she's right to be afraid." He continued seriously. "In the entire time you've known her, Evelyn has been paranoid about keeping control of her abilities. Her entire life has centered around restraint, but she _can_ hurt people Cass." He said with earnest. "I know you don't want to think her capable of it, but it's true and you need to accept it. Because just like anyone else, if she's pushed past her limit, she will."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you seem unusually adept at putting the proverbial pin back in the grenade." He said with a frown. "I keep a closer eye on my daughter than she thinks. You've only known her since she's kept her powers under rigid control, but every time she's started to slip, she's managed to pull herself back from the edge. I think a lot of that has to do with you."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she's been pushed passed her limit Cassian. Far beyond it. And if someone doesn't do something soon, she will explode. People will get hurt."

"I still don't understand what the point is in telling me all this is. What can I do about it?" I asked in frustration. "I'm dead."

I would have loved to be able to talk to Evelyn right now. To take away that rage and pain I was seeing in her eyes. I wanted it more than anything, and if there was a way I would have done it no matter the cost, but I couldn't and it was painful. I hated seeing her like this and not being able to help. All he was doing was reminding me of that fact.

"Perhaps." He said with a shrug, he then steepled his fingers in front of him and gave me an interested look. "Then again, perhaps not."

"Perhaps not?" I asked in disbelief. "What do you mean? I'm talking to you right now aren't I? I'm dead. Broderick killed me."

"The line between life and death can get blurry at times." He explained. His tone was light and I had a feeling he was ignoring what I had said. "It's amazing what modern medicine has been able to do, and people have defied truly incredible odds. Throughout history there have been many cases where those who were presumed to be dead simply woke up, with no explanation as to why. Perhaps this could be a…" he grinned a little, his voice sounding a just the slightest bit amused. "Near death experience?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

"I didn't think that was up to you." I said carefully. This felt like a trap. "I thought the Fates-"

"The Underworld's a big place." He said dismissively. "Paper work gets misfiled. People get lost, sometimes things get over looked in the system." He gave me a significant glance. "If they're not looked for too hard."

"You're sending me back?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's not for me to decide." He said automatically. "But," he continued and he hesitated for just the slightest of seconds before saying. "Suppose there was more than way to leave this room." As he spoke, two doors appeared on opposite walls, facing each other. "Suppose I got distracted, and didn't happen to notice which one you went through."

They opened, and the walls behind them shimmered until they displayed two scenes. One, a sunny field with an impossibly blue sky. The second, Camp Half-Blood, where everything was going so wrong.

I looked back at the first door with a frown, trying to figure out what I was looking at. Wild flowers made of precious metals dotted the land scape, glimmering in the light, and massive houses dotted the distance. I heard laughter and suddenly, felt the pleasant breeze that was rippling through the grass. The longer I looked, the more real it seemed to become. I felt sunlight, bright and warm and I realized I'd stood, feeling drawn to this place, almost forgetting about camp entirely. It felt like a distant memory at this point.

"Is…" I hesitated looking back at Hades, afraid to say what I was thinking if I was wrong. "Is this-?"

"Elysium," he said quietly and I glanced back at the door in shock. "You died a hero's death. Protecting someone you loved."

'Elysium?' I wondered in amazement. I almost couldn't believe it. I hadn't thought much about where I'd end up after I died, but if I was honest, I would not have guessed here. Elysium was a place of heroes, good people who put the well-being of others before their own like Ev. I mean, I didn't think I'd end up in the Fields of Punishment or anything, but I hadn't exactly been the nicest guy. I guessed I always assumed I was a net neutral sort of person, not too good, but not too bad, probably a solid candidate for the Fields of Asphodel.

"It didn't hurt that she was my daughter." He continued, as if he'd known what I was thinking. "Sparing the King of the Underworld watching his daughter die a painful death tends to improve your chances in the after-life."

I glanced back at him and almost let out a disbelieving laugh, but movement caught my eye, and I looked back at camp, where nightmares were starting to unfold. The fighting had finally started, the Underworld kids, aided by a horde of monsters and the undead, vs the rest of the camp, which were quickly being overrun as even more creatures crawled their way to the mortal world from deep fissures in the ground.

"It's not your problem anymore," Hades said persuasively, and while there didn't seem to be any malice in his tone, something didn't feel right.

'Well he _was_ right in a sense.' I reasoned. Technically, I was dead. Whatever was happening in the mortal world really wasn't my business anymore.

"Just a few easy steps, and you won't have to worry about it."

I heard laughter again, and I saw people had gathered by the door curiously. Clearly they saw me, and were motioning for me to join them. Inviting me in. Instantly I felt welcomed, accepted, but I knew it wasn't because of how I looked. Automatically I took a step forward. The room around me started to fade as they warmth of the sunlight grew stronger. The brushing against my skin as I went to take another step.

I'd never had that before, a sense of belonging somewhere. Growing up, I'd moved around so much I never felt settled anywhere, and when I'd gotten to camp, I felt like I'd been shoved in to an expectation of what a child of Aphrodite should be and was expected to continue to play the part just to have some sort of friends. But I felt like I belonged here and I wanted to chase the feeling. But the second this thought occurred to me I stopped.

'No.' A voice in the back of my mind said quiet, but stubborn. 'You have felt that before.'

And she wasn't here.

"No." I said, out loud this time.

Hades thought he was offering me paradise, but he wasn't. Evelyn wasn't here. And if she wasn't, I had no interest in the after-life. No matter how pretty it looked.

'What was I doing?' I thought in panic. I was acting like what was going on at camp wasn't my problem when it was.

I took a step back, quickly followed by another.

Evelyn was there, and she was in trouble. She was in pain. As long as she was there, it was my problem.

The field began to fade as the room sharpened back into focus. I couldn't leave her, not yet. If Hades really was giving me a chance, I had to go back.

"Interesting decision." He said as Elysium faded completely, leaving only the door. It was still open, but nothing was beyond it, just more white. "I'll admit I'm surprised." He frowned. "People don't surprise me often."

"I can really go back?" I asked looking back at camp.

I didn't see Evelyn, she was lost in the chaos of the battle that was taking place, but I knew she was there, and that was enough.

"I can't say yes to that." He said quietly. "But I'm also not going to say no."

His eyes were narrowed as he considered me, and part of me wondered if he might have been trying to convince me to go the other way. Was this some sort of test?

"Why are you doing this?" I asked frowning. Why did he offer to send me back, or at least, not stop me if I decided to, but then try to convince me not to?

"Because I love my daughter." He said softly. "And I'm not sure she knows."

This answer surprised me. I'd expected some sort of over the top, protective fatherly instinct crap to be happening right now. Him saying he'd give me a chance to make her happy, but threaten me, telling me not to mess it up. But he didn't look irritated with me. Despite his ability to hide his emotions behind a mask of apathy and indifference, his eyes were sad. For the first time, I didn't think Evelyn looked like her father. I thought he looked like her.

"Have you told her?" I asked frowning, remembering that the last time I'd seen him, he'd waited until after she'd left to say it.

"To be honest, I'm not sure she'd believe it." he said quietly. "The Underworld is a complex place. It'd dark and it's cold, probably a reflection of the man who runs it." he sighed and I wondered if Evelyn's in ability to deal with emotions was inherited. "But if I can't make her feel loved. I guess I can send her someone who can."

His eyes moved to the destruction that had overtaken the camp, and yet, strangely as I walked towards the battleground and the room started to fade, it was as if time was being reversed. Skeletons were pulled back into the soil, spirits sucked back into the fissures where the earth was repairing itself. Monsters vanished into the shadows they'd jumped out of and campers that were grappling with each other, began to untangle themselves.

The door was open, and through it, I saw Evelyn still holding on to me, shaking, ignoring those around her.

My fingers closed around the handle as I stepped through, and just as I was pulling it closed, I heard him.

"With you in her life, she might not have to be so afraid."

Then the door 'clicked' shut. And everything went black.

….

The first thing I was aware of was pain.

My chest felt like it had collapsed in on itself and I realized I couldn't breathe. Everything was dark and I was panicking, I tried to move but I couldn't. My body was frozen. I couldn't move. I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe or make a sound. But I could hear.

"Ev," a voice said gently. "Let him go."

I recognized the voice. It was female, but I couldn't place it.

"No."

That was one I knew. I'd know it anywhere and I wanted to see her, but my eyes wouldn't respond.

"Ev," a third voice said and it was full of pity. "It's over sweetie. He's gone."

Somewhere, in the dark recesses of the back of my mind had become, I realized the other two must have been Micah and Maya.

"No." Evelyn said softly. "He's not."

She'd been crying, I could hear it in her voice and a new wave of panic went through me. I wanted to say something. To see her to tell her it would be ok but I couldn't do anything. Everything felt foggy, like my brain was in a dark haze. I still couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I was just stuck there. Wanting to yell in frustration. Wanting to tell her I could hear her, that I was here.

"Evelyn, you can't-"

"I can and I will." She said stubbornly. "He's not gone."

"Ev-"

"Just stop!" she said and anger was in her tone, but so was desperation. "He's not gone."

"Yes he is, Ev." Maya's voice said. It was kind but trembling, and I realized it was getting clearer. "You saw it. You saw his essence fade."

In amazement, I felt that my body was no longer cold.

"Oh my gods." She whispered.

"What?" Micah asked his voice full of concern.

"He _not_. He really isn't." Evelyn said quickly, her tone completely changed as slowly, consciousness crept over me. Second by second, different parts of my body regained feeling, awareness washing over me like the swell of a slow wave rolling into shore.

"He's back." Evelyn said her voice soft and full of disbelief.

"What?" Micah asked sharply but she ignored him.

"Cass?" She asked hesitantly, almost as if she was afraid of what would happen next.

And then I felt it. A small, warm hand resting against my face. And it was what I needed to pull me back. With that sensation came others. I felt a breeze tug at my hair and rustle something that sounded like leaves. Indistinct voices made their way to me as I started to regain feeling in my limbs.

My eyes flew open and I took a shuddering breath, the pain spiking exponentially but I didn't care. Not when my vision focused and I saw her looking down at me, her dark eyes wide.

"Oh my gods." She repeated, looking a little startled and staring down at me, like she thought doing anything else might reverse what had happened.

"What the hell is going on?" Micah said as people started to whisper, but I didn't care what they had to say. I could only look at her. Eventually, I found my voice

"Hey Goth Girl."

She let out a startled laugh, her eyes filling with tears as she pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

My body, which felt like it had been hit with a cement truck, screamed in protest but I didn't let her go. I couldn't. I pulled her closer to me and closed my eyes as the realization seemed to be hitting the crowd all that once.

"He's alive."

"Oh my gods."

More whispers darted between the crowd, but if they were shocked, it was nothing compared to the Underworld kids. As I reopened my eyes, I saw they were looking at me in complete shock. Some of them wary, but others gaping, their mouths literally falling open in surprise. Micah was one of them.

"Is this really happening right now?" he asked softly looking at Maya for confirmation, who seemed to stunned to respond.

Too quickly in my opinion, Evelyn let me go, and she wiped her eyes looking a little embarrassed as she smiled at me.

"You're back." She said, completely undermining the enormity of the situation, and effectively defusing the tension. She'd said it not like I'd found my way back from the Underworld, rather as if I'd had forgotten my keys on the way out the door, and had to go back for them.

"Yeah," I said quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

She was still pretty beat up and her eyes were red from crying, but despite all that, she still managed to look beautiful. Maybe I was bias, but I did know a _few_ things about being attractive.

"I figured I should probably get back, before my girlfriend got too pissed."

Her answering smile was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen. It was more radiant than the sun, and I didn't care what my mother, or Apollo, had to say about it. But it vanished when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"By Zeus, is he actually _alive_? Holt, oh my gods." The voice was nearly strangled in panic. "I swear on Olympus I didn't mean t-"

But it was cut off as Evelyn lunged forward, tackling the person. I looked over to see Broderick on the grass, her hand at his throat.

"Don't. Touch. Him." She snarled. "If you ever so much as lay a finger on someone I care about again-"

He managed to push her off and I was surprised when he didn't go for his weapon, but Evelyn didn't seem to care.

"It was an accident!" He shouted. He sounded terrified and the entire camp took a step back as, to my utter disbelief, in her anger, black flames started to surround the two

"You think that matters to me?" She asked darkly.

"Ev." Micah warned his voice wary but she ignored him.

The ring was small at first, slow to start and barely a foot high, but it was growing. Gaining in speed. She walked towards Broderick and with each step, it stretched higher, the flames clawing towards the sky. Soon, they were as tall as she was and the heat radiating from them was incredible, causing everyone to back farther away.

The fire, now solid wall of ebony flames, had started to spread. It scorched the grass, and while it hadn't gotten near a camper, people were starting to panic.

"I thought you said she couldn't control hellfire!" I called to Maya over yells and shouts as people started to flee.

"She can't!" she shouted back. "At least she couldn't before!"

I struggled to get to my feet and Maya noticed.

"C'mon!" She yelled, ducking down and putting my arm around her shoulder so she could pull me up. "We've got to get out of here!"

But when she tried to guide me to the others, I resisted. My eyes locked on the in the middle of the chaos.

"Calm down Evelyn!" Broderick said taking a step back, only to realize he had nowhere to go. He was trapped and she was still walking towards him, fire erupting from her palms. "I didn't mean to."

"Didn't you hear me?" she asked furiously. "I said I don't care."

"I swear to Olympus… I wasn't trying to hurt him!" he said raising his palms.

"Well you did." She said coldly, her expression hard. "And I promise you, this is going to hurt a lot worse."

His eyes went wide. He tried took another step back only to stumble and fall. He caught himself with his hands breaking his fall just inches before the wall of flames and it was as if everybody realized it at once. Evelyn wasn't going to stop. Not this time. She wasn't looking to scare anyone. She wanted revenge and it was at that moment I knew Hades was right. Evelyn had been pushed past her limit, and I had to stop it before what he'd shown me became a reality.

"What are you _doing_?" Maya asked as I ducked out from under her arm.

People were running for cover, but I ran for the flames.

Micah tried to grab me but I pushed him off.

"You're going to get yourself killed!" he shouted but ignored him.

Evelyn might want to hurt Broderick right now, but she wouldn't hurt me. And as I stepped in front of the flames, they died. Just like I knew they would.

Confused, obviously wondering why the fire had gone out, Evelyn looked up and her eyes landed on me.

"Get out of here Cass." She snapped her eyes burning with hatred as she turned back to Broderick.

"Evelyn, you need to calm down."

"I told you," she said stiffly. "Don't tell me to calm down. He tried to kill you!"

"It was an accident."

"You... you were gone."

"But I'm here now." I said softly as I approached her.

Her eyes darted between Broderick and mine, clearly undecided if she wanted to attack or wait until she was sure I was out of the way.

I reached for her hand and the fire around it died, allowing me to thread my fingers with hers.

I put it over my heart, letting her feel it beat and her eyes met mine.

"I'm right here love. Focus on that."

"But-" she started, but I cut her off.

"Let it go Ev." I said quietly resting my hand on her cheek and brushing it with my thumb.

Her eyes continued to stare into mine, her gaze somehow simultaneously both soft and intense. She was still furious, I could tell, and she seemed to be debating if she really wanted to give up this fight.

Eventually, she let out a sigh.

"Fine." She said bitterly. "But I'm only doing it for you, not because of him."

She threw Broderick a disgusted look.

"You should be thanking Cass." She spat with venom. "He very well might have just saved your life."

He was still on the ground, inside the ring of charred grass that was so blackened and brittle, it looked like it was made of used matches. His eyes were still wide, and they darted to me. It looked as if he wanted to say something but he didn't get the chance.

Still seething, Evelyn had turned and looked as if she was about to storm off, but I pulled her back.

"Cass, let me-" she started sounding tired and more than a little frustrated, but I cut her off.

"No." I said firmly and her eyes slide hesitantly to mine. "I'm not letting you run off on me after that. You and I are a team, ok?" she frowned at this, not as if it annoyed her, rather, like she didn't quite understand the concept and I lowered my voice as I continued. "I came back for a reason Ev. I'm not letting you deal with this with this alone."

This entire situation had been a nightmare, what all the years of anger and distrust between the Underworld and Olympian campers had led to, and while it looked like the worst of it was over and we'd somehow avoided an all-out war, there was going to be fallout. People weren't going to ignore what they'd just seen. Things were going to have to change around camp if we didn't want to get here again, on both sides. I wasn't going to let her navigate that minefield on her own.

Her eyes had gone a little wider as I'd spoken, and she looked shocked.

"I do most things on my own Cass." She said a little uncertainly, but it didn't sound like a rejection, more like a reminder. As if she was saying, 'this is how things are,' but I didn't accept it.

"Not anymore." I said shaking my head. "Not if you don't want to."

I expected her to protest, or say she didn't want to get me involved, but was surprised when she smiled. It was small and a little hesitant, as if the idea was alien to her, but it was also sincere. Like hearing it had made her genuinely happy.

"Promise?" she asked quietly and I grinned.

"Yeah."

"Well alright then." She said with a slight laugh and when I caught people staring at us, I realized how bizarre of a situation I was in.

They hadn't been on the mission with Evelyn and I and I'd hardly talked to anyone since I'd been back. As far as they knew, Evelyn and I were barely friends. People were whispering most of them probably wondering what the hell was going on.

April was one of these people, she was frowning and apparently a little confused, and several of the Underworld camper's mouths had fallen open in shock. My siblings, however, didn't look surprised at all. Automatically, I searched for Angela, expecting her to roll her eyes or look smug or say _something_ about the situation, but when I saw her, she, well she looked like a wreck. Her hair was disheveled from running and eyes were puffy and red from crying and they were wide. She was shaking, but when she looked at me, something inside her brain seemed to click because she blinked, looked at Broderick, and then promptly proceeded to lose her mind.

"BRODERICK HARRISON! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" she screamed, startling everyone by rushing him.

She didn't make it far, Mandy and a few other cabin heads managed to grab a hold of her as, kicking and screaming, she tried to claw her way towards Broderick who still hadn't seemed to recover from everything that had gone down. He stood there, dumbly, his face blank as he tried to process the last twenty minutes. But with Angela's reaction came others. More people were talking, getting angry for so many reasons I lost track. Eventually, in twos and threes people started to argue, all trying to make sense of what exactly was going on when finally, a voice cut over the masses.

"Enough!" Chiron shouted pushing through the crowd, almost trampling over a few unfortunate campers who quickly scrambled out of his way. He'd been trying to keep things under control as campers had been fleeing the fire, but now apparently now that the danger had ceased, he seemed determined to regain control of the camp.

"You two!"

He pointed towards Evelyn and I.

"Get to the infirmary. Everyone, back to your cabins and stay there." He glowered around the crowd, daring for anyone to contradict him. "Activities are cancelled until further notice. I want all the cabin counselors in the Big House in ten minutes, after you ensure all your siblings are accounted for. I'm calling an emergency meeting, and don't even think about turning up." He continued glaring at Evelyn. "You look as if you got caught in an industrial press. Go to the infirmary and stay there until you're discharged."

She looked a little bemused, as if she thought it was funny Chiron was trying to tell her what to do, but eventually she shrugged.

While his little speech seemed to pacify the crowd, people were still muttering.

"Get going." He snapped and people started moving back towards their cabin, Mandy and a couple of her brothers dragging Angela who was still trying to get to Broderick.

My eyes caught April's for just the slightest of seconds before she looked away. I noticed several of the Underworld campers were looking at me as well, but like April, when they saw I'd noticed they quickly shuffled off.

"Chiron doesn't really expect me to sit around in the infirmary all day, does he?" Evelyn asked in exasperation, pulling my attention back to her and driving everything else from my mind.

"Ev, you look like you've been hit by a truck." I said flatly. "Like, not a little one either. A really big, really heavy truck."

She smiled.

"And yet I'm still standing." She said playfully and I scowled.

"You should take it easy for a bit."

"Ah there's no fun in that." She said but allowed me to take her hand and didn't resist when I pulled her towards the Big House.

My body was still sore, and my muscles ached in protest as I started to walk, but ignored them realizing it could have been worse. Considering I'd been dosed with two lethal poisons over the last half an hour or so, I was amazed I wasn't worse off.

The next hour passed with a series of medical examinations and tests as a few of the Apollo campers checked us over. Despite having actually been dead for a brief amount of time, somehow, Evelyn was in worse shape than I was. Then again, she'd been almost dead for longer than I'd been with her father, so maybe it wasn't that surprising. Despite this grim prognosis, she seemed annoyed to be stuck in the infirmary. Several times she tried to convince the Apollo kids to discharge her so she could go to the counselor meeting, but they ignored her. They seemed rather adept at blocking her out, and I had a feeling this wasn't the first time she'd tried.

Eventually, we were left alone and I was given explicit instructions to tell Chiron if Evelyn left.

"What's he going to do?" Evelyn said crossing her arms over her chest and scowling after the Apollo campers as they walked out of the room, but eventually she sighed and sat back on her bed, her leg bouncing restlessly.

She'd been pacing and she seemed agitated.

"You ok over there?" I asked hesitantly.

"No." she said seeming a little preoccupied and while she didn't sound upset, her expression was drawn, her brow furrowed with obvious worry. She looked like she was thinking.

"What's wrong?"

She glanced at me for just a second before she continued to look around the room.

"I messed up." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have gone after Broderick like that, I know I shouldn't have. And while a part of me still wants to strangle him…" she shook her head. "Two wrongs don't make a right." She glanced at me again and she looked a little worried. "I'm glad you stopped me. I mean, I know it was an accident, but I still hate him. I might always hate him." She added a little sourly. "But I think I just made things worse."

She let out another sigh.

"Either way, he's going to have to avoid me in the arena for a while. I might have to take the next couple of weeks off from capture the flag."

Her tone was fretful and she looked apprehensive.

"Gods everyone must have been so scared." She muttered and it sounded like she was talking to herself more than she was to me.

She sighed and let out an aggravated groan, before running her fingers through her hair.

"Gods I don't know how I'm going to fix this. Maybe I should just get lost for a couple of weeks, wait until everything blows over. I could go visit Nick or something, see if my Mom wants to any digs in other countries. She mentioned a couple of work sites she wanted to visit in Bengal…"

"No." I said firmly and she looked at me in surprise.

"What?"

"You cannot keep running away from this problem Ev."

"I'm not running away." She said indignantly. "I'll be back, I just don't want to scare-"

"The only way you're to stop people being afraid of is if you start opening up to them, not hiding yourself away."

"Cass," she started sounding resigned.

"I'm serious Ev." I said and she bit her lip, appearing conflicted. "If you want the rest of the camp to be more comfortable with you, they've got to get to know you. And not just as the big bad enforcer for the Underworld kids when people get out of line. They need to meet the real you. They're not going to be able to do that if you disappear until the fall."

"I dunno Cass, this doesn't seem like the time to push the envelope. Besides," she looked a little distressed as she continued. "You know me. I suck with people. I was never good at getting people to see past the Underfreak's abilities."

"Stop calling yourself that." I said annoyed and she let out another sigh.

"You know what I mean." She said and she sounded tired. "I tried to fit in before Cass, it didn't work. I never fit in. Why should it work this time?"

"Because now you have me." I said gently, but allowing myself a smirk as I added. "I happen to be an expert at getting people to see exactly what I want them to see."

"I swear if you try to put make up on me again…"

I laughed but quickly stopped when I realized that it hurt. Pain flared through my chest and I winced. She must have noticed, because a look of concern flashed across her features and she quickly crossed the space between her bed and mine, sitting on the blankets next to me.

"You alright?" she asked quickly putting a hand on my shoulder. "Do I need to get one of the medics?"

"I'm fine." I said waving the statement off but she didn't look convinced.

Her eyes searched over me and she seemed to be thinking about something, because she hesitated before letting her gaze meet mine.

"You were gone." She said quietly, and I noticed that unlike when she spoke of her own death, her voice wasn't disinterested or disconcertingly calm. She didn't sound emotional, but there was something in her tone, something deep, and I could tell that what had happened to me had rattled her.

"I felt it." she continued in barely above a whisper. "I know most people think you just sort of miraculously recovered but you weren't just slipping away. I saw it. You weren't here anymore." Her eyes were staring into mine, as if she was searching for answers. "How'd you get back?"

"Does it really matter?" I asked knowing Hades probably wouldn't like it if I went around shouting that he'd essentially let me escape death. No, not even essentially. That was exactly what he'd done. If that got out, that could cause a world of trouble, both living and dead. Maybe that was why her tone was so soft. Deep down, she probably knew.

"No." she admitted allowing me put an arm around her.

She let me pull her closer I kissed the top of her head when she leaned it on my shoulder. A couple of moments passed in silence between us where I thought we were both thinking about the events of the day. Things had gotten so crazy so fast, I hadn't really had time to process them. Only now was I realizing just how truly insane this was.

I'd died. I'd actually died. For some reason, it was hitting me harder now than when I'd been face to face with her father and I felt my fingers tremble slightly.

There had been a very real possibility that I might have never seen Evelyn again, but by some miracle I'd been given a second chance, and it was this realization that had me swearing to myself that I wasn't going to waste a second of whatever time I had left with her.

All the problems that I'd thought I'd had growing up, fake people, fake friends, never feeling quite at home no matter where I was, just seemed so unimportant with the realization that she'd almost been taken away from me. Now that I knew what that felt like, all those other things, they just didn't seem like that big of a deal.

I knew she must have been thinking about this as well, because when my hand found hers, she threaded her fingers between mine.

"I'm really glad you're here Cass." She said quietly.

"I am too." I agreed.

"I don't think I could go back to doing everything on my own."

I didn't answer her because somehow, I knew she didn't need it. This wasn't like when I'd dated other girls, who made comments just to hear validation, or use it as a test to see what I'd say. She'd said it because she wanted me to know, and I recognized it was her way of telling me how much she cared about me. As if everything she'd done wasn't enough.

I leaned my head against hers, and just when I thought she was finished, she muttered two last words.

"Thanks, Dad."


	29. Chapter 29

Epov

It was a few days before I was allowed the leave the infirmary, and as much as I liked spending time with Cass, I had to admit I was glad to be getting out. I didn't like being cooped up in one spot too long, and with everything that was going on I felt like I needed to be doing something. If I couldn't leave camp, then I wanted to at least be trying to fix things, and sitting in the monotonous purgatory that was the infirmary was starting to drive me crazy.

Throughout the week after I'd been cleared, things at camp were tense, but not like they were the last few times things had gotten bad between my friends and the Olympian campers. Before it seemed like everyone was lying in wait, mentally preparing themselves for battle if the other side might strike. Now it was more like there had been a silent agreement between everyone that people should just back off. Everyone seemed to be going out of their way to not provoke each other on both sides. It was as if what had happened to Cass had brought people to their senses, putting the consequences of the stupid feud between Olympian and Underworld campers into perspective. Everyone was starting to realize that nobody had wanted it to go that far.

Even though no one had actually said anything, it seemed as if people were waiting for me to get out of the infirmary before they wanted to attempt dealing with what had happened. I didn't like it, but I guess made sense. What else could I expect really? For all they knew I might fly off the rails again, and as much as it irritated me, I had to admit they had a point to be worried. Strangely, I wasn't beating myself up over it like I usually would. I'd talked to Cass a lot over the past few days, and he'd helped me realize I needed to get passed it. The best thing to do wasn't to dwell and make myself miserable, or isolate myself so people could talk about me and let the rumors go crazy, it was to try and shape how things would go moving forward. And that's what I was trying to do.

Another, far more surprising difference, was that I now had several of the Olympian campers on my side. Angela, after seeing that the enmity had almost lost her her brother, had done a complete one eighty when it came to how she treated the Underworld/Olympian campers issue. Normally a little stuck up, she was going on an all-out charm offensive trying to repair what relationships she could, and people were actually responding to it pretty well. I didn't know what that said about her friends or mine, that a pretty girl with persuasive words was starting to fix things, but maybe Angela was more powerful than I thought, or people really wanted to change. Either way I didn't care. The fact was that they were changing, and that was fine with me.

Other cabin heads like Mandy, were going out of their way to interact and engage with the counselors from cabins that belonged to the Underworld gods. She and April had been holding informal meetings, with anyone brave enough to show up, to talk about the issues between the two groups that needed to be addressed.

I hadn't seen much of Broderick since I'd been let out of the infirmary which I figured was probably intentional on both of our parts, but I'd found out from Angela, that he'd stepped down as the head of the Ares cabin. He'd done it on his own, but she'd made it clear she'd been putting pressure on everyone she could to try and make it happen if he didn't.

I hadn't seen a lot of Micah either. I didn't think he was avoiding me, so much as he was avoiding almost everyone. I'd visited him in his cabin a few times, but he'd seemed a bit dazed by everything that happened. Unfocused. From what I could tell by talking to Maya, he was struggling with a few things. Primarily, it was the realization that what had happened to Cass, could just have easily happened to him if Broderick had been angry enough, and that an Olympian camper had risked his life for him. It shifted his whole world view and he was having a hard time adjusting.

Over all, I thought things were getting better. From the way things were playing out, I didn't think this was just another temporary fix. It felt like more than that, like people were willing for things to change, in some case almost wanted them to, which honestly, felt like a miracle. I almost couldn't believe it.

I found I was smiling a little as I walked into the Big House during free time to visit Cass.

"Have you already finished the last book I gave you?" I asked incredulously when I saw it had joined the pile on the nightstand next to his bed.

"I've got a lot of time on my hands." He said with a humorless laugh, but then smiled as his eyes landed on me. It was the same smile he gave me every time I visited, and I didn't think I'd ever get tired of it.

"Good thing I brought a replacement." I said holding up the massive volume.

"Oh?" he asked and I held back a laugh of my own when I noticed he looked interested, excited even.

Gods, sometimes I forgot under the son of Aphrodite super model good looks just how much of nerd he really was.

"What have you got for me?"

I glanced at the cover.

"' _The Bronze Age_.'" I read adding a dramatic inflection to my tone. "' _The Period that Changed History_ '. My mom picked it." I said with a grin and looking back at him. "So I'm sure you're going to like it."

Since Cass had finished all the books both he and I had at camp, I'd gone home to get him something new. I'd run into my mom and she'd sent a few of hers back with me. He'd burned through them in just a few days.

"She does have excellent taste in literature." He said sounding pleased. "Something you inherited."

I laughed and tossed him the paper back.

"Go nuts Cass."

He caught it the placed the book on the stand next to the bed as I sat on the blankets.

"How you feeling?" I asked.

"Like I want to get out of here." He said scowling and I grinned. "I'm so bored. I cannot believe you convinced them to discharge you before me."

"I'm tough." I said airily with a shrug. "Besides, I've annoyed the Apollo campers about getting cleared for so many years, they're practically throwing me out of here as long as I can walk."

"I can walk." He said stubbornly.

"Yeah, you just can't stop your organs from randomly trying to shut down."

While in appearance Cass was fine, apart from the wound to the chest, the poison had done a number on him internally. Though they said he'd be fine, Cass still had to recover and get what was left of the toxins out of his system. They weren't sure how long he'd have to stay. One moment he was fine, the next he wasn't. But the episodes were getting fewer and far between.

"At least I'm keeping the medics on their toes." He said mildly.

"Yeah, I'm sure they appreciate it." I said rolling my eyes.

"You are one to talk," he accused and I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're always getting injured from something. And what's with the wardrobe change?"

He gestured towards me and I glanced down only to realize the shirt I was wearing wasn't mine.

"Huh? Oh." I said, then looked back at him. "I'm trying to seem less 'Death's Spawn' and more 'average, every day, run of the mill demigod.' This is actually your sister's shirt."

Angela had convinced me that it might help the camp see me as more of camper than a child of Hades if I dressed more like everyone else. While I wasn't sure I was in love with the idea, I admitted the logic was sound and had agreed to ditch the jeans and band shirts for shorts and a camp T-shirt. I still kept my boots.

"Did she put you up to it?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sort of, but she's got a point. It might ease the tension if I'm trying a bit more to fit in."

"And you're ok with that?"

"I guess." I said with a shrug.

"You don't sound too convinced." He said with a frown. "Want me to talk to her?"

"No, it's fine." I said shaking my head.

I didn't really mind wearing clothes other than my own and when I'd first come to camp, I didn't own a lot of black. I'd worn the camp shirts more often than not, but it wasn't long before I realized I was less than welcome. In fact, it was Angela herself and a few of her friends that had taken my clothes and dyed them all black. I'd gotten new ones, but it kept happening. Eventually, I just bought black clothes so they wouldn't bother. The habit had just sort of stuck.

I tried not to hold onto resentment about that, but it was hard. Years of resentment and distrust were screaming at me telling me this was a trick, that she and her friends were plotting something but I knew I had to let it go. Angela was really trying, and I could see it. When I'd originally tried to borrow some of Maya's camp shirts they were just a little too small, Angela had offered me hers. She'd even managed to get a few from Mandy and surprisingly, April.

"Well, ignoring the fact that that is now going to be your new contact name in my phone," he started with a grin.

"What? Death's Spawn?" I interrupted with a laugh and he nodded.

"Yeah and while I think orange looks good on you," He gave me a sly smile that made me want to say something sarcastic, but grin instead. "Unfortunately, we are wearing the same outfit." He said pretending to be embarrassed as he pointed to his own camp shirt. "Clearly one of us is going to have to change."

"Hey you're Mr. Love and Beauty, which also happens to be your contact name by the way." I said with a smirk and he rolled his eyes. "You're the one with the wardrobe magic." I pointed out. "You can change what you're wearing into something else."

"I can also change what you're wearing." He pointed out with an evil smile and I felt my face fall in horror as images of ribbons and frills barged into my mind.

"Don't you dare." I warned glowering at him and he laughed. He leaned forward wrapping his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap.

"Relax Ev, I'm joking." He said in a placatory tone resting his chin on my shoulder, and reaching for the book next to him.

He opened it, his arms still on either side of me and I tilted my head so I could look at him.

"Want me to go so you can bookworm?"

"Nope." He said happily. "You are good exactly where you are."

"And how long am I supposed to just sit here while you read?" I asked amused.

"I dunno, ask the medics when they plan to clear me to leave the infirmary."

"You know as much fun as that sounds." I said sarcastically and I heard him chuckle. "I don't think I'm going to stick around for quite that long."

"That's too bad." He muttered, but he sounded distracted and when he turned the first page, I knew the book had caught his interest and he wouldn't surface for a while.

I stayed for another fifteen minutes before I realized it was almost half passed six and I had to get going. I didn't really want to, it had been a good day for Cass and I wanted to make the most of it. I'd been here a few times when it hadn't been a good day. When it had been a very, _very_ bad day and he really had been keeping the Apollo campers on their toes. I didn't like the bad days, and it was almost enough to keep me here just so I didn't have to think about it. But I knew I needed to leave.

"I'll see you after dinner." I said leaning over and kissing his cheek after I'd gotten to my feet.

"You need a half an hour to prepare for dinner?" he asked with a smirk. "Got a hot date or something?"

"Yeah, but he's stuck on bed rest so I've got to find other things to occupy my time. Primarily demigod politics."

"Stop it Ev, I'm swooning." He said his tone heavy with exaggerated flirtation.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." I said with a careless motion. "I'll see you later Pretty Boy."

"Later Goth Girl." He said and I grinned.

I could feel his eyes on me as I walked into the hall and no matter how hard I tried, I could force the smile to fade. I was smiling a lot lately I realized, it would happen out of nowhere and most of the time the reason was pretty dumb. I'd be walking to an activity and think of something Cass had said while I'd visited him that day and grin, or think about the way he smiled every time he saw me, and I couldn't help myself. I would smile. Even things like random thoughts or stupid jokes that I knew he'd find funny would set me off.

It was strange to think about, because I realized I was happy. Like all the time lately, not just sometimes. And I realized with some amazement, how much I liked it. I never thought one person could change so much of my life. But the happier I felt, the easier it seemed for people to be around me. The easier it was to be around people at camp. The nightmares had been getting better, and I wasn't half terrified to go to sleep anymore. I wasn't afraid of myself because I was starting to realize, if Cass wasn't, why should I be?

My mind was still on this as I stepped into the arena, but I forced myself to focus as I spotted the two people who were waiting for me. For once they weren't snarling at each other, but they stood several feet apart and looked uncomfortable. The fact that I was a couple minutes late and they were still here, and hadn't throttled each other was a good sign.

"Thanks for coming." I said mostly to Micah who nodded and I glanced at Broderick.

His expression was hard to read. I could tell he was wary, angry and maybe still a little afraid after what had happened after he'd hurt Cass, but I didn't care much. I probably should have. I didn't want people to be afraid of me but Broderick was an exception. I didn't think I'd ever forgive for what he'd done, not completely at any rate, but I made an effort to remain calm. For everyone's sake.

"You said you wanted to talk?" he asked his tone gruff.

"Yeah." I said stiffly.

"Any particular reason why you chose the arena to do that?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest and I couldn't help it, I sent him a look I knew would flatten most people and while he didn't apologize, I could tell he was regretting his words.

"Yeah. It's because you're not going to like what I have to say. Both of you." I said glancing at Micah, who eyes narrowed, but he didn't look upset. More like he was paying attention.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You two need to figure your shit out." I said. "There are a lot of problems between our friends, but they can be worked out, but it's going to be harder if you guys keep going after each other, especially in front of the other campers. The camp wants to fix things and it will be a lot smoother if you two are on board."

They glanced at each other warily and I felt my jaw set as I got to the hard part, the part I didn't want to say.

"And I'm not taking no for an answer. So either get it together, or leave."

Micah's eyes went wide and even Broderick looked surprised.

"Ev, you can't be serious." Micah started.

"I am. You're my best friend Micah and you always will be, but I'm not playing peacemaker just for you two to throw temper tantrums so everyone has to put out even more fires. I've had enough."

"But they-" he started indignantly and I cut him off.

"No." I said shaking my head. "No more excuses, no buts. I don't care what either of you say the other has done. Have a little perspective. Cass almost died because of this pointless feud, and if we don't change things more people are going to get hurt."

Broderick winced and Micah looked a little uncomfortable.

"It's in the past." I said tautly. "We're moving forward. Our friends want to work things out, and I will be enforcing that. On _both_ sides. Got it?"

They didn't answer, but they didn't argue either which I figured was probably as good of an answer I was going to get from them.

"I've already talked to Chiron about this and he's in agreement. He's adding a separate table to the Dining Pavilion where you two will eat all your meals together, and you're going to talk out your issues. You don't have to like each other, but you're going to have to learn deal with each other. Alright?"

Micah's jaw was set but he nodded and Broderick narrowed his eyes.

"You're sure it's in the past Underfreak?" he asked menacingly. "Even for you?"

Micah stiffened but I shot him a warning look before turning my attention to Broderick. I knew what he was doing, and even if I knew why he'd said it, I wasn't amused.

"And if it wasn't, do you think testing my boundaries is _really_ the best idea?" I asked him coldly.

He didn't relent.

"I'm not going to agree to something that's inherently unfair." He said crossing his arms over his broad chest, and glowering at me. "If you can't get over what happened, this is never going to work. You say you're going to enforce both sides, but what happens if 'enforcing' just means pay back? How do I know you're going to keep your word that you're looking out for both sides?"

"Because I care more about my friends and what's best for them, than I care about how angry I am at you." I said darkly.

"That's not a very convincing argument." He said flatly.

"Maybe not, but the fact that you're still standing here, breathing, is." I said my temper getting the better of me. "And again, you have Cass to thank for that."

He frowned, but strangely, I felt as if he liked that answer better than anything else I said.

"Fair enough." He said quietly and deciding I should probably remove myself from his presence as fast as possible, I turned and made my way out of the arena.

Micah caught up to me.

"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked.

"Of course not."

"Look, I'm sorry if I've been kind of flakey lately." He said as we stepped out into the grass.

As always it was a gorgeous day at camp, and while usually I didn't like being out in the summer weather for very long, lately, I sort of liked being in the sun.

"Don't worry about it." I said with a shrug. "Maya said you've been figuring some stuff out."

"Yeah." He said rubbing the back of his a little wearily. "It's been a weird week."

"No kidding." I said looking around, it felt like so much was changing, but it was weird that the camp pretty much looked and felt the same.

"How's Pret-" he started but cut himself off and started over. "How's Cassian doing?"

"He's good for the most part. Better than the last few days."

"Maya said he was still in the infirmary."

"Yeah."

"And how are you handling that?" he asked hesitantly.

"Better than expected." I said honestly.

He nodded then seemed to debate something to himself for a moment, then as if he couldn't help himself said.

"Cassian Holt, Ev? Really? Out of anyone in camp, no in the world actually, you decided to date Pretty Boy?"

"Yup." I said a little amused at his indignation.

"How did this happen?" he asked incredulously. "What do you guys even talk about? You cannot possibly have anything in common."

"Eyeliner mostly." I said keeping my face straight though I wanted to laugh at Micah's expression. "And shoes. There's this one pair of sneakers in particular that he-"

"Gods, I can't tell if you're serious or not." He said sourly and I gave him an evil grin. "You know what, never mind. I'm not even sure if I want to know."

There was a moment of silence that stretched between us before he said.

"Maya says you seem a lot happier lately, and she thinks it's because of him. She says you're joking around a lot more, and you're laughing again." It sounded like he was forcing himself to say this, and I felt there was more on his mind.

I was right.

"I dunno." He shook his head sounding conflicted. "Are you sure about this Ev? I know you can take care of yourself, but you know how it is. We have to look out for each other. We made an oath."

"I know." I said calmly. "I remember."

"He's just so… him." He said as if this justified everything and I grinned.

"Masterfully put Micah."

"Shut up Ev, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." I said with a nod. "And I like him."

"Why?" he asked with a frown. "And how do you know he's not going to like someone else next week?"

"You know that's a valid point." I said with mock severity. "And if you see Cass jumping in front of more spears, you come straight to me and let me know. Although," I added thoughtfully. "If he does jump in front of a spear, the problem might fix itself."

"What happened? Don't have any more death tokens to spare?" he asked sardonically and I realized that Micah might be the only person in camp who knew what had actually happened that day.

"No actually." I said quietly and he frowned.

"Wait. You still have yours though, right?"

I shrugged.

"What?" he yelped.

"If my Dad wants to talk to me he can, whenever he wants. He doesn't need one final moment. Technically he could annoy me for the rest of eternity if he so pleased."

Hecate was right though, I really need to make more of an effort to visit him soon. Especially before the summer ended.

"I guess." Micah nodded. "But if he knew you gave the token away I'm surprised Cass came back at all. I figured he'd be like, in the fields of punishment for the next century or something."

"Yeah I'm not really sure why he did that." I agreed. "But I'm not complaining."

"I still can't believe it's Pretty Boy." He said shaking his head his tone resigned. "Is…" he paused and gave me a suspicious look. "Is it a looks thing…?"

"Oh totally." I said airily and by his scowl I knew he knew I was messing with him. "In fact, sometimes I tell him not to talk so I can just sit and stare at him without being distracted by little things like his interests or what he has to say."

"You're an ass you know that?"

I laughed.

"I'm aware."

"Jeez, you really are happier." He muttered looking a little grumpy about it.

"That's a bad thing?" I asked, amused at the contrast between his words and his expression.

"No, it just means I'm going to have to start putting up with Pretty Boy a lot more." He said and I could tell he wasn't excited about it.

"I'm glad you're inviting yourself into my relationship Micah."

"Hey, don't put this on me." He said crossing his arms over his chest. "Maya actually likes your boyfriend." He made a face as if he couldn't believe this. "He managed to get her tickets to a meet and greet with her favorite beauty vlogger and now she won't stop talking about going on double dates."

"He did?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah." He said sounding a little disgruntled. "And she asked _him_ to go with her. Can you believe it?" he asked indignantly. "Not you, or me. Him!"

"Micah, do you really want to go to a meet and greet with a beauty vlogger?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Because I don't."

"No." he muttered sourly, his expression close to a pout. "But I'm her boyfriend. Getting dragged to stupid stuff I don't want to do to make her happy is my territory. He's not even trying to date her and I'm getting replaced."

I laughed.

"Micah, I'm sure she's only bringing him because he's got a connection. If it makes you feel any better, you and I can go to the range or something that day."

Micah's cousin was ex-military and had opened a gun range out in the middle of nowhere in Montana. On slow days, he let us shoot the big guns at stupid stuff like watermelons and giant bottles of soda.

"Alright." He said looking a little happier.

The next few hours passed in an automatic fashion. I went to dinner and walked to the volleyball nets to watch the tournament, only to be surprised when a very pretty girl with dark hair and sky blue eyes to jogged over to me. Her hair was pulled into high pigtails, that fell in long ringlets that bounced as she ran. She'd clipped large pink bows into hair ties, and looked to be about fourteen or fifteen.

"Hey," she said with a bright smile. "You're Evelyn, Cass's girlfriend, right?"

"Uh, yeah." I said caught a little off guard, not least because I'd been address as 'Cass's girlfriend.' What happened to Underfreak?

"I'm Mimi, his little sister." She said still smiling at me so wide, I almost felt the need to step back, instincts telling me I might be in for some sort of trap. "He's usually on our team, so we're short a player." She explained. "You want to play?"

"Seriously?" I asked looking over her to see a couple of Aphrodite kids, including Angela, looking in our direction, clearly waiting for what I was going to say.

"Yeah." She said and without waiting for my response, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the net.

I was so overwhelmed at actually being invited to play, I didn't notice who was on the other side until I was already there and both the teams, and the spectators, had gone awkwardly silent.

The opposing team consisted of a lot of Cass's friends, or maybe, ex-friends in some cases. Mandy, the head of the Athena cabin was there, as well as a couple of her siblings, and a couple of the Apollo kids, including April, who was standing not a foot away from me, on the other side of the net.

She looked just as surprised to see me here as I felt well, being here. Her blue eyes went wide and there was a horrible, weighty silence before some idiots in the crowd that had come to watch the game started going.

"Oooooooo."

They clearly expected, or hoped for maybe, a cat fight to break out between the two of us and she looked a little wary, but when I didn't say anything she looked a little relieved.

"You'd think they'd have better things to worry about." She grumbled sounding a little irritated and throwing the wannabe instigators a scowl.

"I can shadow travel them into the sound if you want." I offered and she laughed.

"I'll keep it in mind."

There was another moment of silence where she looked anxious again before saying.

"Cass doing ok?"

"Yeah, for the most part." I said with a nod.

"That's good." She said quietly and she glanced at me looking a little conflicted. I wasn't great with feelings, but part of me wondered if even after everything that had happened over the last few weeks, she was struggling with how she felt about him. Or, as Cass had put it, the idea she'd created of him. She hadn't gone to see him in the infirmary, but it was clear she was concerned.

"You know, if you wanted to visit him, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He might actually appreciate the chance to talk."

"You're ok with that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She seemed to want to respond with something, but thought better of it. Instead, she said.

"I'll think about it."

She didn't seem thrilled about the idea however, because she seemed uncomfortable and quickly looked away, then went to talk to Mandy.

Confused, I looked at Angela. We weren't particularly close, but she was Cass's favorite sister, and I'd spent a lot of time with her recently as we tried to repair the relationship between her friends and mine. Enough time to feel comfortable talking to her in situations like this.

"Did I say something?" I asked wondering if once again, I'd manage to screw up yet another human interaction.

"No." she said shaking her head. "If anything, you were too nice."

"Too nice?" I asked confused. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Because." She said with a sigh, lowering her voice. "She went a little nuts after what went down between her and Cass, I mean." Her eyes went wider with meaning. "She was the one who cursed him. None of this would have happened if you and him hadn't left. Now she looks like the crazy ex-girlfriend." She glanced at April. "And you're being so cool about what she did to him." She hesitated before turning back to me. "I think part of her hoped you might be kind of a bitch. It would be easier to hate you that way."

I frowned.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"That's love." She said with a shrug. "It doesn't always make sense."

I didn't know what I was supposed to feel about this, but decided not to worry about it. It didn't really seem like my business. If things needed to be resolved between April and Cass, he was far more qualified to deal with it than I was and I trusted him, even if I knew most of the camp thought I was crazy for it.

"Ready?"

I looked over to see Mandy was back in the server's position, the ball in her hand. She was looking at us, clearly waiting to see if it was alright to start the game.

"We're good!" Angela called back jogging to her position, and Mandy hit the ball into play.

Cpov

I'd been in the infirmary for over a week, and honestly, I was starting to understand why Ev hated it here. There was nothing to do.

"Thank gods." I said as the door opened. "I was about ready to die of boredom. Please tell me you brought something new for me to read. Did your Mom finish that book about Ancient Persia? It sounded interesting."

"It's not Evelyn." A voice said and I was shocked to see Micah enter the room.

He was followed by Broderick, which surprised me even further.

"Did hell freeze over?" I asked warily. Since when did these two do anything together?

"This is not going off to a great start." Broderick groused, running his hand through his buzzed hair, but to my astonishment, seemed to be making an attempt to control his temper.

Even more unusual, he looked a little uneasy, as if he was nervous.

"We're stuck together for the foreseeable future." Micah explained and while he didn't look happy about it, his tone was resigned, not angry. "All the in the name of camp cohesion."

"Yeah?" I asked grinning a little, resisting the strong and immediate urge to start pushing buttons. I was bored. "How's that going?"

"Well, neither of us are dead." Broderick said tersely and I couldn't help myself

"Me either." I quipped, the words out before I was aware of thinking them and Broderick winced. Micah didn't seem to find it amusing either and I made a mental note to tell Ev later. She'd probably laugh.

"Gods Holt." Broderick groaned his expression sour. "How is it I'm the one who stabbed you, yet you're still the jackass?"

"Lighten up Rick." I said and he scowled at the use of his nickname. "You gotta move on."

"You're not even off bed rest yet, and you're telling _him_ to move on?" Micah asked raising an eyebrow. He looked as if he didn't trust this, but frankly I didn't care.

"Yup."

"You're recovering from both pit scorpion and gorgon poison." Broderick said and I could tell I was annoying him. "How can you possibly be this cheerful?"

"Because I have a very pretty girl who visits me several times a day." I said smirking. "And unlike you two, she actually has a sense of humor."

"Gods give me strength." Broderick muttered his eyes darting up as if praying for patience. "I came here to apologize, but if I stay here any longer I might smack you. So," he let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry I stabbed you Holt," he said curtly. "And I'm sorry that you're still stuck in here because of me." He hesitated and closed his eyes as if this next part was hard for him to say. "And, thank you, for you know, stepping when you did."

He sighed and I knew he was talking about when Evelyn had been about ready to attack him.

"You know, it's kind of ironic." He continued still looking anywhere but at me. "When she first got here, all my siblings could talk about what would happen when she got older, when not even we would be able to beat her in a fight. They always talked about what they would do if she lost control, how we would protect the other people at camp." He ran his hand over his head again. "No one ever thought it would be up to an Aphrodite kid to deal with that sort of power." He hesitated. "I think after hearing all their dire predictions about your girlfriend, I never really thought seeing her as a person was an option."

I saw Micah wrinkle his nose at the mention of girlfriend, and while I wanted to address that, I figured now probably wasn't the time.

"Looking back, our paranoia about Evelyn seems a little insane." He crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn't look angry. If anything he looked uncomfortable. "My siblings don't like it when we know someone is more powerful than we are, a stronger fighter. I dunno, maybe we're used to being the toughest people in the camp and when we're not it makes us lose a sense of control or something. But I've gone out of my way to piss her off, and all she did was try to avoid me. Even when she wanted to hurt me, she didn't. I hadn't even meant to hurt anyone, and I almost killed someone." He winced at the memory. "After what happened last week… I'm starting to realize I spent so much time worrying about the Underworld demigods, I didn't stop to think maybe the person people should have been worried about was me."

Micah glanced at him, apparently surprised by this admission and I had to admit, I hadn't seen it coming.

He cleared his throat, clearly feeling a little awkward and uncertain what to do next.

"Anyways." he finished his tone clipped. "Sorry."

"Yeah, don't sweat it." I said realizing this might be a weird response to an apology for him almost permanently ending my life, but to be fair, I wasn't sure what you were supposed to say that. Not to mention, I didn't think I'd heard Broderick apologize for anything ever. I was a little caught off guard.

He nodded then made his way to the door and I felt myself frown.

"Broderick."

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to know where you went wrong with April?"

"Don't be an ass Holt." He said tersely, but he didn't sound angry, just tired. "I'm swallowing a lot of pride here."

"I know, and I'm actually trying to help."

I wasn't sure why I'd felt this sudden urge to help Broderick, but it seemed as if, like me, the events over the last couple of weeks had caused him to want to be a better person.

He hesitated, clearly wondering if he wanted to accept my offer, but eventually he sighed and looked back at me.

"Fine. Where did I go wrong?"

"You spent so much time trying to impress her, you never actually listened to her. Do you know anything about her outside the activities you guys have together?"

He frowned, evidently thinking.

"Take my advice." I said lightly. "The next time you feel the need to brag about how much you can life, or the coolest monsters you've killed, Just. Stop. Talking." I gave him a significant look. "Ask her about the stuff she likes, and listen to what she says. Don't tune out trying to figure out how to bring the conversation to something that will make you seem cool."

"That works?" he asked skeptically.

I saw Micah roll his eyes.

"You do know that girls are people, right?" he asked unable to keep the scoff out of his tone. "Do _you_ like talking to people who only talk about themselves?"

I expected Broderick to start shouting, and the thought clearly crossed his mind, but I was impressed when he took a deep breath, turned back to the door and walked out into the hall.

"She likes daisies." I called after him. "A dozen of those will get you a lot farther then bench pressing a couple hundred pounds."

He made an irritated noise, but I grinned a little because I knew that was just his way of saying he'd heard and understood. He just didn't want to admit that Micah and I might have a point.

"Gods I'm so glad I'm passed that point in my relationship." Micah said shaking his head and I looked at him feeling my brow furrow.

"What point? Putting in effort?"

"No, the uncertainty." He said. "Wondering how the other person feels, not knowing what they're ok with, what's not enough or what's too far. It's stressful. Luckily Maya's pretty low maintenance. Even when I do screw up, she's not upset for long."

"Yeah, I'm not quite sure how you pulled that off." I admitted with a laugh. "She's honestly too good for you dude."

I'd gotten to know Maya a little better over the last few days, she'd come to check on me a few times when Evelyn had to come visit, and I had no idea why a nice, pretty girl like her, put up with a hot head like him. He wasn't a bad looking dude, but from most of my interactions with him, I expected half of their relationship was her telling him to calm down.

"While I am well aware of that." He said giving me a stony expression. "I know _you_ of all people aren't coming at me about dating out of my league. If you're confused as to why Maya's dating me, imagine how I feel about you and your girlfriend."

I noticed he didn't say Evelyn's name, and part of me wondered if he felt that saying it would make the fact that his best friend was dating an 'Olympian camper' seem a little too real.

"Alright you have a point." I conceded and he looked mollified.

"At least you know she's too good for you."

"Yeah, in which case we should probably being trying to help each other." I pointed out. "You know, making sure they don't come to their senses and realize they could do a lot better."

"Maybe." He said and I was pleased to see him grin a little, but it vanished almost instantly and was replaced with a scowl. "But speaking of Maya. Stop trying to buy her approval by bribing her with those stupid vlogger tickets or whatever the hell you guys are going to."

I laughed and it was for a few reasons. One, because that was exactly what I'd done, two, the notion that I was a threat to their relationship was ridiculous, and three, that he thought he could make me stop.

"Are you seriously jealous?" I asked amused. "Gods you are lucky she loves you. Jeez, I thought I was doing you a favor by agreeing to go."

"I happen to like doing nice things for her." He said stubbornly. "I enjoy seeing her happy."

Well, maybe there was a reason she was with him after all…

"If you want to be nice, let me go with her." I said. "I know the vlogger. She used to do make up for a bunch of shows my father's company and she loves me. Maya will get a lot more face time with her if I'm there."

"Fine." He said with a sigh. "But Broderick isn't the only one who wanted to thank you, and you know, apologize."

"You do?" I asked surprised and he nodded.

"Yeah." He said and his annoyed expression turned serious. "Even if Broderick claims he hadn't intended to hurt anyone, you didn't know that and that spear was headed for me." He sighed. "Even if you didn't intend to get hurt, or take the injury for me, you still did it for my best friend. You killed the basilisk outside the factory when it came after me, and you stuck up for Maya." He frowned. "I might have misjudged you." He admitted and while it looked difficult for him, he was saying it. "I thought you were just some asshole Olympian camper who liked messing with Ev, but looking back…" he let out another sigh and hesitated before saying. "I think I might have judged you just as much as everyone judged me and my friends."

"You don't have to thank me Micah, and don't apologize for misjudging me because you didn't." I grinned. "I am an ass."

"That doesn't explain why you tried so hard to help us whenever you could."

"Actually, it sort of does." I said glancing at the door, to see Evelyn leaning against the frame, and I winked at her. "There was a pretty girl involved."

Micah looked over his shoulder and she gave us a smirk.

"Don't let me interrupt boys. Please continue with the heart to heart."

"I think it's done." I said and she made a disappointed expression.

"Well that's too bad. I was ready to get some popcorn."

"I can give you the highlights." I said grinning. "We've decided I'm an ass, and we're both dating out of our league."

"Well I could have told you that." She said amused, stepping into the room. "I'm amazed Maya hasn't dumbed his sorry butt years ago."

She gestured to Micah who scowled.

"What about mine?" I asked feeling my smile grow

"That's why I'm here." She said with her dead pan expression. "To dump you. Wasn't that obvious?"

"Yeah, well I'm going to go before I get caught in a loop of infinite sarcasm." Micah said rolling his eyes but then looking at his best friend. "You still coming over tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." He said with a nod and getting to his feet. "See you later."

"Later."

She watched him walk out of the room before turning back to me.

"What's going on tonight?" I asked curiously.

"Angela is throwing a mixer in the Hecate cabin." She said a little warily. "She seems to think cookies and punch is the solution to the social prejudices that have plagued this camp for years."

"Nah," I said with a grin. "She just likes to plan parties. She will literally come up with any excuse."

"Ah. That would explain a lot." She said then shook her head. "Well, anyways. She insisted that we use one of our cabins, and Micah's is kind of perfect. You can change the layout super quickly thanks to all the enchantments so she's been planning this whole theme. Honestly, it's been kind of a head ache."

"Well, have fun." I said trying not to feel disappointed when I realized she'd probably be too busy to visit tonight. "Let me know how it goes."

"Oh, the party isn't tonight." She said rolling her eyes. "This is the pre-party planning walk through that Micah and I are required to attend for some reason. She's not going to set a date until you're out of the infirmary."

"Why?"

"Because she says if the Underworld and Olympian campers are stuck together in one building, she's going to need back up on her charm offensive. And according to her, you 'bullshit with the best of them.'"

"She's not wrong." I said pulling her onto my lap as she sat on my blankets and she grinned.

I'd just kissed her when I heard a knock.

"Oh." Said a voice and I glanced up to see April had poked her head through the door, only to look a little uncomfortable as she averted her gaze. "Uh, I can come back."

"No, it's alright." Evelyn said and I was disappointed when she stood, stepping out of my reach. "I've got to get going anyway. I only came to grab this." She grabbed a book off of the now alarming pile on my nightstand. "My mom needed it back. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Yeah alright." I said with a nod and she tucked the book under her arm, and made her way to the door of the infirmary, passing April on her way out.

There was a moment where neither of us spoke as I heard Evelyn's footsteps retreating down the hall, and neither of us really seemed to know what to say. The silence stretched on for a good thirty seconds, and while I didn't feel awkward I could tell she did. If anything, I felt wary.

"I guess I should apologize." I said when I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"You're apologizing to me?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "After what I did?"

"You were angry." I said with a shrug. "And being honest. You had a right to be."

"Yeah, but I guess I wasn't exactly my best self when we were together either." She said frowning and sitting on the bed next to mine.

"That doesn't mean I get to hurt you like I did." I said quietly. "And you're not the only one to blame. I let you think it was something that it wasn't."

Only now that I actually had what she'd been looking for, did I realize how shitty that actually was.

"Yeah." She said quietly but she didn't sound resentful, just disappointed and a part of me wondered if even now, a part of her hoped that at least some part of our relationship had been real. Not necessarily because of me, just because in the end, I think that's what most people wanted. Something real, where they could be happy with someone.

"So." She said glancing back at the door. "I guess after half the camp throwing themselves at you, Evelyn's the kind of girl you like in the end."

"No." I said shaking my head and she looked at me in surprise. "Evelyn isn't the kind of girl I like. She _is_ the girl I like."

"You got yourself stabbed by Broderick's death spear for her." She pointed out and while her tone was flat, again she didn't look angry. Just matter of fact. "I think that might qualify as something more than 'liking'."

"Yeah, maybe." I said quietly and the statement settled between us, awkward and a little heavy.

"Think she's figured that out yet?" she asked and this time she did look at me. Her expression was guarded, but also a little curious. I knew it would be a while before things were ok between us, if they ever would be, but I could tell she was interested in my reaction.

"I'm not sure." I admitted and I was hit by how strange it was, knowing that I might like someone more than they liked me. "I'm not sure if she wants to just yet."

She frowned.

"Kind of a weird thought. That a girl isn't tripping over herself for you. But maybe that's what you _like_ about her." She said exaggerating the word with a small smirk and I couldn't help it, I grinned.

"Yeah."

More silence fell between us but it wasn't uncomfortable this time. I had the sense that the reason she'd come wasn't just to see me, but see if things between us were really over. If I really did only want Ev, but now that she saw it was true, she didn't seem upset. If anything, she seemed relieved. Maybe me not looking back made it easier for her to do the same.

"I am sorry Cass." She said softly avoiding my gaze, and she sounded a little ashamed. "For everything that happened to you because of me."

"Don't be." I said with a shrug, and she looked at me in surprise. "I'm not."

"You're not?"

I shook my head.

"Why?" She sounded stunned.

"It all worked out in the end. I got where I needed to be." I paused, thinking about Evelyn. "I might never have if you hadn't done what you did."

"Still…I didn't mean for things to get as far as they did."

"Don't worry about it."

"You nearly died."

"But I didn't." I pointed out. Well, not permanently anyways, but she didn't need to know that. As far as I was concerned it was anybody's business, and she looked guilty enough.

"Stop beating yourself up April." I said gently and she bit her lip, her eyes anxious, as if she wasn't sure she should. "We _both_ did stupid things, but it's done. And if you're willing to, I want to just move on. We don't have to make things harder than they need to be."

Her eyes met mine and they still looked a little uncertain, but eventually, she nodded.

"Alright." She hesitated and let out a sigh. "Gods, looking back, it all seems kind of stupid now. I feel like an idiot, getting so worked up over a guy that didn't even like me that much."

"That wasn't entirely your fault. I didn't exactly help."

"Maybe." She agreed. "Now it seems like everything at camp is changing."

"I don't see that as a bad thing." I said and she nodded, but it seemed like more of an automatic movement than one that really indicated agreement. "But I know you've been helping keep things calm between everyone at camp. So thank you. Really."

She seemed uncomfortable with the sincerity in my tone because she glanced away, staring at the wall and she looked a little tense.

"Sure." She said with a shrug. "I know it's important to you that our friends and the Underworld campers get along. I never really liked all the fighting anyways. It's kind of weird." She said her expression thoughtful. "Mandy and I have been trying to get a sort of unofficial counsel together with the Underworld campers. Just to bring issues to the table before weapons or Chiron get involved. We had a meeting last night and I realized, I don't think I've ever heard some of them talk. They were always so quiet during activities, they never said anything to me. Now half the time when one of them sees me they say hi. It's a little hard to get used to."

"They're people April." I said amused. "People usually say hi when they see someone they know."

"I know." She said frowning. "It's just, and I know this sounds horrible, but they've kept to themselves for so long it's just hard to see them that way. It's a little hard to wrap my head around. I spent so much time thinking that they just didn't want to talk."

"They probably didn't want to talk." I said. "But that was our fault not theirs."

"It's just weird seeing them acting so normal. Maya even brought lemon squares to the meeting last night." She laughed a little. "Like just straight up made snacks for everyone like it was a PTA meeting or something."

She grinned a little but it faded slightly.

"For the most part, it seemed like everyone's on board, but we're having a little trouble with the Ares cabin. A few of them have showed up, but it didn't go very well. I feel like getting through to them would usually be a job for Angela, but I'm pretty sure her feeling towards Broderick would still be considered 'premeditated," she sighed. "We've still some work to do there."

We lapsed into another pause, in which I decided it might be the time to say what I probably should have from the moment I'd realized she was interested in me.

"April?"

"Yeah?" she asked still sounding a little lost in thought.

"Have you considered that maybe I'm not the kind of guy _you_ like?"

"What do you mean?" she asked looking a little confused.

"I mean Evelyn's not the only girl around here who has someone who'd jump in front of a spear for her like an idiot." I said evenly. "And deep down, I think you know that."

She blushed.

"You're talking about Broderick, aren't you?" she asked quietly and I had to bite back a sarcastic remark, mostly because even though the words were automatic, I found I really didn't want to say them. I was so used to making fun of him that they'd just come to me, but I didn't want to do that anymore.

"I dunno," she said a little uncertainly. "Most of the time he's alright, but every once and a while he just seems so… aggressive."

She frowned.

"It's a little alarming."

"He really likes you." I said with a shrug. "I don't think he knows how to handle it. Ares kids generally tend to approach any sort of problem they have with force. But he can't fight this problem in the arena. I guess he took that aggression and funneled it into trying to impress you."

She laughed but it sounded a little uncomfortable. As if she didn't want to admit what she knew was true.

"Give him a chance." I said encouragingly then added. "You've dated worse."

"True." She said softly and while she didn't seem upset, I didn't get the laugh I'd hoped for. "The last guy I was with was kind of a jerk."

There was a slightly awkward silence before she finally did give me slightly bittersweet grin.

"His new girlfriend seems cool though. Hopefully she can knock some sense into him."

"Oh I can assure you, she has." I said with a nod. "And hopefully, you can forgive him."

"Yeah." She said muttered going back to avoiding my gaze.

"I am sorry, April." I said and I meant it.

"Yeah me too." She agreed giving me half a smile, her expression a little wistful. "I think we're both better people than we were to each other."

"Yeah," I agreed. At least I was trying to be.

She stood.

"Well, I'm glad you seem to be doing ok Cass. Really." She said while I could tell her words were sincere, her tone wasn't as bright as usual. Her feelings were clearly still a little brittle, and I hated that I knew what I'd done would affect her for a while. "But I should probably go."

She started to walk towards the door, but stopped, as if suddenly remembering something.

"I like your profile picture by the way," she said turning back to me and giving me a puzzled expression. "But being honest, I'm surprised you didn't delete the account." She frowned. "How in Hera's name do you deal with all the people who try to add you? I swear, the account had been active for like a half an hour before people started flooding your inbox."

"Why do you think I'm such a jerk?" I asked raising an eyebrow and I was surprised when she laughed.

"Yeah." She said sounding a little amused. "You know, now that I think about it. It actually sort of makes sense."

She kept walking.

"I'll see you around Cass."

"See you." I answered, then, when I was sure I was alone, I pulled my phone out of the drawer in the stand next to my bed, and opened the Facebook application.

It took me to my page where I saw the latest post was my updated profile picture. Evelyn was in it. I'd taken it when she'd visited me yesterday and I grinned as I looked at her smile. She'd been laughing, I'd kissed her cheek just before taking the picture. It was a shameless, obnoxious, relationship selfie and I didn't care because when I looked at it, I realized why I'd hated all my other photos on my profile. I'd looked good in all of them, but only in this picture, did I look genuinely happy.

I saw a couple people had commented on it, mainly old mortal friends I'd added over the past few days having nothing better to do, asking how I was doing and about my girlfriend in a mix of languages. I read through them laughing when I spotted a new comment half way down.

'WHO THE HELL IS THIS?!'

It was Nick. I'd tagged Evelyn in the photo and he must have seen it on her profile. He clearly didn't recognize my non-cursed appearance, and either hadn't noticed or remembered my name.

Still chuckling, clicked on his name the sent him a friend request, after which I put it in my pocket. I had a several missed calls from Sophia and even a few from my father. She'd sent me a few emails, requesting I contact him but I'd ignored them. While I was surprised he wanted to talk to me, I just couldn't bring myself to respond. Things had been sort of weird lately, but they'd also been kind of great. I knew talking to my Dad had a chance of running it.

I heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Devon, one of the younger Apollo campers, who despite his age, was one of the most talented healers.

"Please tell me you're here to clear me." I said and he grinned.

I'd gotten to know him pretty well over the last week or so. He was a quiet guy, but smart, and despite the fact that I'd had plenty of visitors, when Ev was gone, he'd been the person I'd probably talked to the most.

"You know, I'm happy to finally be able to say yes to that question."

"Are you serious?" I asked feeling my eyes go wide.

"Yup." He said with approval, glancing at the clipboard hanging at the end of my bed, seeming satisfied with the information on it. "You should be good to go."

"Thank the Gods." I said jumping out of bed.

"Say hi to Ev for me." He said as I darted towards the door.

"Will do!" I called back then made my way outside deciding to go back for my things later. I had so many things I wanted to do now that I was out of the infirmary, I couldn't decide which one I wanted to do first.

I'd just started making a mental list, when I heard a voice.

"Cass!"

I turned to see a small group of people to my right. Standing together were Mandy, Angela, Maya, and Evelyn. They seemed to be talking about something, and it was Angela who'd called.

She gestured for me to join them, but before I could so much as take a step, Evelyn had vanished. The next thing I knew, she'd jumped out of the shadow the of the Big House and tackled me into a hug knocking us both to the ground.

"Hey." I said half laughing, half wheezing, trying to reclaim the breath she'd knocked out of me as she pushed herself off my chest.

"They let you out huh?" she said grinning down at me.

"Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow and gave me a playful smirk.

"You've finally decided to stop dying then?"

"For the time being."

"About time. C'mon." She said helping me up and continuing to hold my hand as we walked towards the girls.

Maya gave me a friendly smile as we approached, and Mandy nodded. Angela however, looked a little annoyed.

"Please keep your emotions to yourself brother." She said wrinkling her nose, obviously picking up on them. "Gods I thought I wasn't going to have to deal with this from you."

"You can leave." I pointed out putting my arm around Evelyn's shoulders.

"Hey, I'm actually trying to do you a favor here, so you can watch the attitude." She said her eyes flashing in warning that would have leveled anyone but me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Your Dad's been calling camp." She said giving me a significant look and I saw Evelyn roll her eyes. "Since you won't answer his calls, I've been the one talking to him when he does."

"What does he want?" I asked in surprise. He'd never been this determined to contact me.

"He saw your profile picture." Evelyn explained sounding a little exasperated.

I frowned.

"So?" My father had never taken an interest in who I was dating.

"So, he wants to know why you're dating the model that burned down his last show." Angela continued.

I blinked momentarily confused, then burst out laughing.

"Oh my gods." I said between chuckles. "I totally forgot about that."

"Wait, that actually happened?" Maya asked her eyes going wide. "I thought she was kidding…"

"What did you guys do when you were gone?" Mandy asked raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long story." Evelyn said with a sigh.

"Yeah, well we'll have to hear it some other time. Call your Dad Cass." Angela said flatly. "Before he loses his mind. Because I'm not dealing with that."

"Alright, fine." I said retracting my arm from around Evelyn's shoulders and reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone.

The girls said quick goodbyes, clearly wanting to give me privacy during the call, but caught Evelyn's hand as she started to walk away.

She gave me a curious look and I winked at her as I pulled up my contacts and clicked on my father's name.

It rang for a second before the call connected.

"Robert Holt speaking." My father said and I realized he must not have looked at the name before answering.

"Hey Dad, it's Cass." I said feeling a troublemaking smirk cross my features as I realized, I was going to enjoy this. "I've got someone with me I think you'll be interested in talking to."


	30. Chapter 30

OOHHHH MY GOOOOOOODSS. After writing like crazy for the past week or so and many late nights, I'm happy to post the final chapter to Not Myself. I know my posting schedule with this story was all over the place and I apologize but to those of you who stuck it out thank you! I hope you like it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed/messaged/favorited/followed and in general read this story and got to the end. Not going to lie, this was probably the hardest story to finish just because my life has gotten so busy and it is legitimately the longest single story I've written. So again, thank you for all the positive support, it really is the only reason this story got finished even if it took a while to do. Again I can't thank you all enough for the positive support, I can't tell you how many times I was planning on doing something else when I saw there was a new message or review or more people had favorited/followed the story, then decided to either write or edit so I could update. I'm soooo tired but glad to finally be getting this posted. Hope you all enjoy the last chapter and enjoyed my story!

~secrethalfblood

11 MONTHS LATER

Cpov

"Do you think he's a model or something?" Whispered the girl at the table behind mine as I pretended not to hear.

'Gods, not now.' I thought a little annoyed.

"Maybe he's an actor." Her friend responded excitedly. "I wonder what he's doing here. Maybe there's a set or something nearby? I heard they were thinking of filming that new rom com near the beach in Savannah. I bet he's the love interest…"

I ignored them and reached for the coffee in front of me, not entirely surprised when I noticed a number scrawled on the side of the paper cup.

I let out a sigh, glancing automatically at the barista behind the counter who blushed furiously and smiled. I nodded a little awkwardly and looked away, watching her coworkers gather around her, all of them giggling.

I adjusted my shirt's cuffs and pulled out my phone for an excuse not to make eye contact with anyone in the tiny café. It seemed crazy to me that a year ago, this would have amused me. The barista wasn't bad looking and I would have loved the attention, watching how flustered she'd get if I went over there to talk to her, and a year ago, I probably would have just to amuse myself more than anything, but not today.

I smiled as the device unlocked, and I was greeted by the photo set as my phone's background. It was a picture of Evelyn and I taken on our last trip together when we'd visited her brother and his now fiancé in Seattle. It was one of my favorite photos of us together. We'd gone up in the space needle and were on the observation deck when Liliana had taken a photo of us right as Nick tripped outside the shot. Her hand was in mine and we were both laughing our asses off at him.

I saw I had a few messages. One from Angela asking me about her latest Instagram post which I ignored, deciding I'd get to it later, and another from Maya, which I did respond to. She'd been confirming plans later, asking which outfit I thought Micah would like better, a red dress or a white and navy romper she'd gotten when I'd last seen her.

Surprisingly, I'd become rather good friends with Maya over the past year. Outside of her camp attire, she was a bit of a fashionista and had an impeccable sense of style. I had a feeling she enjoyed having someone to talk about it with.

I'd told her to wear the dress and was about to ask if she needed a ride from the airport when I was distracted by at text from Evelyn.

'Nick is driving me CRAZY.'

I grinned, guessing I knew what the issue was.

"I don't know why you insisted I 'look nice'." Said a familiar voice as the bell of the door jingled drawing the attention of everyone in the cafe to the entrance. "We come here at least twice a week when we're home, they know what I look like. Besides, I should be able to wear whatever I want today."

"I think you look great." I said grinning as Evelyn looked up from her phone, then promptly dropped it in surprise.

"Hey." She said laughing and running to me, then jumping into a hug.

"Happy birthday Ev." I said grinning as I set her down.

She smiled and slid her arms around me as I took her face between my hands and kissed her.

"See, aren't you happy you brushed your hair today?" Nick asked then sounded a little irritated when I didn't let her go. "Jesus Ev, get a room."

She shifted, removing one of her arms from around me and I figured she was probably flipping him off. I didn't bother to check.

Eventually, however, we broke apart as Nick went to the counter to put in drink orders.

"What are you doing here?" She asked her eyes shining with excitement as she beamed up at me. "I thought you said you had exams."

Though I'd bounced through school systems of multiple countries growing up, and hadn't been to an actual school in years, a near perfect SAT score, letters from both my private tutor and teachers around the world, as well as a recommendation from Evelyn's mother, who incidentally, happened to be something close to a rockstar in academia, had managed to get me into school in New York where I'd just finished my freshman year of college.

"I convinced a couple of my TA's to let me take them early." I said with a sly grin. "Might have mentioned I wanted surprise my girlfriend who lives across the country for her birthday that I never get to see because she's so far away."

"You saw me two days ago." She said with a laugh. "I practically live at your apartment."

"True." I agreed feeling my smile grow. "But they don't know that."

Evelyn did spend a lot of time with me in New York. My father had agreed to let me stay in his apartment provided I was going to school, and was on a track to join Étoile. I was double majoring in business and fashion and merchandizing, and while I wasn't completely in love with the idea of working with him, I wasn't going to pass on an education or a free place to stay in New York. I also realized that this might have been his idea of compromise. He didn't ask me about modeling again, though many of his colleagues had mentioned it, but I guess in his mind he figured if I couldn't help the company as an image, I could help with the business end.

My relationship with my father was still far from great, but after what had happened last summer, I felt he might have gotten a wake-up call when he realized he was completely out of touch with his own son. I think it might have shocked him to find out to realize Evelyn was not a model, rather an extremely powerful demigod, and he'd had no idea at how she'd gotten tangled up in my life, or his show.

"You are ridiculous." She said rolling her eyes as she sat, trying and failing to hide her smile.

"And you love it."

She gave me a skeptical expression.

"Do I?"

"Yeah, you do." I said confidently and she laughed. "And I know you're having fun hanging out with your brother while he's on break, but you've gotta be back Friday. We've got plans."

"Did you get invited to _another_ party?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

" _We_ got invited, and yes."

"Why?" she asked looking genuinely confused.

"Because dating a gorgeous bartender who works a couple blocks from campus tends to make you popular when you're in college."

"I'm not a bartender." Evelyn said sounding a little exasperated.

She'd been watching the 'Tipsy Satyr' for Hank after he'd left the city to do some soul searching or something like that. He'd effectively blown his cover for his information network when he'd contacted Hades, telling him what had happened to Evelyn which is how he'd found us. I didn't know where he'd gone, in fact, I was pretty sure only Evelyn knew where he was at the moment, and I didn't know when he'd be back. In the meantime, she'd been running the place.

"I can't even serve alcohol." She reminded. You had to be eighteen to serve in New York.

"You can after today." I pointed out. "And I'm guessing that a lot of my friends are more than willing to cash in on that."

"Great." She said with a weary sigh looking exhausted just at the thought. "If the 'Tipsy Satyr' becomes a hot spot for more than just demigods Hank might actually kill me. I'm starting to see why he chose to be a hermit."

In his absence, Evelyn had opened the bar to more people, primarily kids on missions or quests from camp that needed a haven in the mortal world while they recovered from injuries or needed to plan their next move. Word had spread, and now the place was almost always at least half full at any given point in time. It did have it's draw backs. Hank had been right, it did increase the monsters in the area of the bar, but being a daughter of Hades, Evelyn was far more adept at dealing with them than Hank had been. That and any monsters from the Underworld knew to avoid the place.

"It'll be fine." I assured her with a smile. "I like the dress by the way."

It was a light blue sundress with cut out detailing at the hem that fell just above her knee. She'd pared it with a leather jacket and her boots, but overall, the look worked, a sort of 'soft rock' or 'pretty punk' style.

"Thanks." She said then gave me a significant look. "Your sister sent it to me."

"Angela?" I asked in surprise and she nodded.

"Yeah," she said and she was grinning now. "She sent me a whole box of clothes. Apparently if I'm going to seen with her brother, I need to learn to 'dress appropriately'."

She put quotes around the last two words and I winced.

"Sorry." I muttered and she shrugged.

"It's ok, she sent me the jacket too and I'm not going to lie, I kind of love it."

"She sent that to you?" I asked in surprise.

"Yup." She said with a laugh. "Made it herself. Apparently, she wants to start experimenting with an 'edgier look.'"

More finger quotes.

Angela had been designing clothes for as long as I could remember. Over the past year, a couple of brands had picked up a few of the items she'd been selling online and had been having people model on social media sites. It looked as if she was trying to expand and if she was going for a different, 'edgier' style, I guess it made sense she'd be trying to pull Evelyn into it. Maybe that's was what her text earlier had been about.

She took her jacket off as Nick returned with a hot chocolate and a coffee for himself.

"That's new." I said spotting a splash of color on her forearm as the door 'dinged'.

"You like it?" she brightly holding out the tattoo for me to inspect. It was incredibly well done, a skull with what looked like uncut emerald crystalizing off it. White flowers detailed with red grew through the skull, and I realized with some amusement, that they were asphodel.

"Yeah." I said with a grin. "The colors are amazing."

It wasn't filled like a traditional tattoo. Instead, the pigment seemed to blend together like water colors and I had to admit, it looked really cool.

"Who did it?"

"Me of course." A voice said and I looked up to see Liliana walking in with Evelyn's mother. They smiled at me as Liliana continued. "Present for the birthday girl."

Her long dark brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her light blue eyes were excited.

"I'm really glad you're here Cass." She said brightly reaching into her purse. "We hit the bridal store on our way here. I've got a few dresses I want your opinion on. You've got such an eye for what looks good on people."

Despite her initial hesitation to get to know her, Evelyn had clicked with Liliana when she'd finally decided to give her a chance. It had taken a lot of convincing on my part for the initial visit, but I think going with her might have helped, and now the two were now pretty close. She was actually going to be one of the bridesmaids in Nick's wedding next spring.

"I like the one with the lace," Liliana continued pulling out her phone and handing it to me showing a series of pictures. "But the lady at the store said chiffon might be better for the setting..."

"And that's our cue to tune out." Nick muttered to Evelyn who nodded.

Evelyn and I split with her family after lunch. Nick and Liliana thought we were just wandering around her hometown but in reality, we spent the afternoon in Paris.

"I still don't know why we don't just shadow travel to restaurant." She said throwing away her empty ice cream cup as we waited for our Uber.

"Because you need to know where you're going to do that." I said amused. "And it isn't much of a surprise if you know where we're headed."

We'd left France and hit Tybee Island where we were going to meet up with her mother, Nick, and Liliana or so Evelyn thought.

The car pulled to the curb and just as I opened the door for Evelyn, I got a text from Angela.

'Where are you guys?!'

This was followed by a couple of clocks and various angry face emojis which caused me to laugh.

'Nearly there,' I typed. 'Got held up.'

I sent the message not feeling guilty about the lie. Nothing had held us up, I'd just lost track of time but Angela would be ok.

"What's so funny?" Evelyn asked curiously, apparently oblivious to the 20 something guy clearly checking her out in the rearview mirror.

"Angela's uptight." I said catching his gaze in the reflection and feeling a sense of satisfaction when his eyes snapped back to the road.

Ok, maybe Angela had done me a huge favor planning the party, but us being ten minutes late wasn't going to kill her.

The ride didn't take long, and Evelyn frowned as we pulled up next to the beach.

"The is the restaurant on the pier or something?" she asked her eyes sliding over the sand and landing on the waves.

"Sort of." I said sliding out of the backseat.

"What-" she started, her eyes going a little wide as she saw the lights strung along the beach and the crowd that had gathered there.

"EV!" Maya shouted excitedly, dragging Micah by the hand as the jogged through the sand to tackle her in a hug.

She'd decided to go with the red dress.

"Happy birthday!" Maya squealed continuing to crush Evelyn.

"Hey." she said with a surprised laugh. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Cass invited us." Maya said beaming at me. "Everyone's here."

She gestured back to the beach to see several campers were here including Mandy, her brother Drew, Devon, all of the Underworld campers, and several of my siblings including Angela, who was glaring daggers at me.

"Jeez." Evelyn said as her scanned over the tables of food and presents. Streamers and paper decorations wound around the supports that strung up the lights. A party tent covered a dance floor, it's walls rolled up, and fire features had been strategically dotted along the beach.

She looked at me.

"How'd you pull this off?"

"All I did was set the guest list." I said shrugging and she raised an eyebrow. "I told you. Angela _loves_ to plan parties."

"I can't believe my mom agreed to an event on the beach." Ev said a little bemused.

"Yeah, me either." Micah said with a frown. "If I'm honest, I'm not in love with the idea either. Keep away from the water ok?"

"You worry too much." Maya said rolling her eyes.

They started to make their way to the party, but I could still feel Angela's glare, and figured I might as well get it over with and deal with her wrath now as opposed to later.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a second." I said when Evelyn noticed I hadn't followed her and her friends.

I nodded towards Angela and she looked as if she was holding back a snicker.

"Good luck." She said her tone quite plainly saying 'better you than me'.

"Thanks."

As she, Micah, and Maya wandered towards her family and friends, I headed towards the gifts table.

"I know, I know." I said holding up my hands in surrender when I reached Angela. "I'm sorry we're late."

"How can you have a girlfriend that can literally teleport, and still be late?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I happen to like her very much and lose track of time when we're together?" I said and she looked as if she wanted to snap, but thought better of it.

"You're lucky I canceled the ice sculpture." She said testily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If you really thought you were going to have success with an ice sculpture at a beach party in Georgia that is on you." I said hearing a bite of impatience in my words, but softening my tone when I added. "But seriously, thanks for setting all this up. It's amazing. You did a great job."

"Did you expect anything less?" she asked attempting to sound nonchalant, but she appeared pacified by my praise, and she grinned as she glanced over the guests. "I did really do a great job though, didn't I? Name one other person you know that could have organized this many people scattered across the country without a single monster attracting phone call."

"I cannot." I said knowing Angela far too well to do anything but go along with her theatrics, that and well, we both knew I couldn't name another person that could have pulled it off. I wasn't sure anyone else could have to be honest.

"Do you know how many flights I had to organize? How much paper work there was and how people I had to charm to get the beach reserved for a private event? Micah had three layovers to get here from Huston. And yet I still managed to get him here on time."

"Yes your skills of organization and time managing prowess are truly unrivaled."

"Not by you anyways, clearly."

"Ok we were ten minutes late, you're going to have to get over it." I said rolling my eyes. "Besides, I was escorting the birthday girl." I reminded her. "We were supposed to be the last one here anyways."

"I guess." She said moodily and I figured I should probably extend an olive branch. She was right, this had been a lot of work and she didn't have to do it for me.

"I like the dress." I said as she inspected her finger nails. "It's very stylish."

"I know." She said with a long-suffering sigh, then glanced at Evelyn critically before looking back at me, apparently satisfied. "She does look pretty good, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," I said doing the same, but unlike Angela, when I looked at Evelyn, I didn't look away.

"You're welcome by the way." She said sounding a little annoyed.

"I already thanked you for throwing the party." I said, besides saying it a million times when she'd agreed and in the weeks leading up to the event, I'd organized a meeting between her and one of my father's distributors in New York to discuss the feasibility of her marketing some of her clothes to a couple of high end boutiques in the city.

She let out a scoff.

"I meant for dressing your girlfriend." She said. "If it were up to you she'd still be in those gods awful t-shirts and ripped, outdated jeans."

"Ev can wear whatever she wants Ang."

"You are such a sap." She muttered as if I was trying her patients. "But if you won't dress her, I guess I'll have to." she said sounding frustrated. "She's far too pretty not to have a sense of style."

I rolled my eyes deciding to ignore her comments, but eventually I felt her gaze and turned to see she was giving me a shrewd expression.

"What?"

"You still really like her, huh?"

"You know the answer to that."

"I know, and it's nauseating." She said moodily. "Gods you used to be fun Cass. I thought if I could rely on anyone to stay out of the relationship crap it would be you. Even if you dated in the past, it was never serious. Now you're all boring and settled."

She made a face and was clear she wanted a reaction, but I didn't rise to the bait. My siblings tended to be either in love with the idea of love, or looked down on those manipulated by it. Obviously, Angela was on the latter end of the spectrum.

"I guess I am happy for you though." She admitted grudgingly when she realized I wasn't going to respond. "I still might not totally understand it, but you seem happy."

"Thanks Ang. That's sweet." I said with a grin and she waved it away.

"Yeah whatever." she huffed. "Just because you have a girlfriend and are almost disgustingly in love doesn't mean you get to go sentimental on me. I miss the snarky jerk you used to be."

"If you want I can tell you everything that's wrong with your outfit." I suggested and the look she gave me was thunderous.

"Don't push your luck Cass." She said holding up her finger in warning. "I look _fantastic_ and we both know it." she gave me a smug expression. "Two boys walked into a street when I passed them on my way here, and one almost walked out into traffic. His girlfriend had to pull him off the road." The smirk grew. "She wasn't happy."

Angela wasn't wrong. She did look fantastic. She was wearing a royal blue maxi dress with a high slit up the side and sleeves set off the shoulders, and unlike most everyone at the party, the ocean air wasn't frizzing her hair. As if to emphasize the point, she flicked a blonde wave over her shoulder before continuing.

"Is your Dad coming today? I didn't get an RSVP. Did you end up not inviting him?"

"I invited him," I said with a shrug. "But if I had to guess, I'd say he's probably not going to come."

"Well you'd be wrong." Said a voice and we both turned to see a tall man his suit jacket thrown over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up. He stopped at the edge of the boardwalk, just before the sand. "Sorry I'm late." he continued. He looked tired, but also like he was trying not to show it. "There were storms in Tokyo. I had to fly out of Osaka. But," he shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm here."

"You came." I said looking at my father in complete shock.

"Indeed I did." He said with an expression I couldn't quite place. It was almost cautious, as if he wasn't sure how I was going to react. "I figured this girl must be something special if you wanted me to meet her. Well, actually meet her." He amended with a frown, clearly remembering their brief encounter last summer. "That and Grayson will claw my eyes out if he knew I'd passed up an opportunity to make contact with the model who pulled a vanishing act on him." He sounded a little exasperated. "The amount of times he's pestered me about trying to find her after that show…" He shook his head but his sentence faded and I knew he'd decided not to let himself get off topic.

"You've never asked me to meet anyone before." He continued his tone more controlled. "I'll admit it took me by surprise. I've never known any girl to make such an impression on my son. In fact, I don't think I've known anyone to make much of an impression on you at all. And you grew up around super models."

"I tend to have an effect on most people when they meet me."

My father jumped and turned to see Evelyn, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against a street light opposite him on the board walk.

"But I doubt you'll find a super model that can the things I can."

She shot him a mercurial grin. It was obvious she'd seen him from the beach and had shadowed traveled to catch him by surprise. She was looking for reaction.

"How did you-" he started looking confused.

"I'm the daughter of death." She said off handedly with a dismissive gesture. "Nightmare in human form, she demon, human Ouija board, various other unspeakable titles. I move through the darkness like you would an empty room."

Angela looked at Evelyn like she was insane for addressing my father this way, but when she winked at me I knew she was messing with my father solely because she knew I'd find it funny, and she was right. I couldn't help but smile. I didn't think I'd ever loved her more than I did right now.

My father's eyes narrowed, clearly wondering if she was serious, but when he looked at me he caught my expression.

"Oh dear lord." He said rubbing his face with his hand before looking back at her. "You're just as sarcastic as he is aren't you? This is starting to make a lot more sense."

"Actually," I said feeling my smile grow. "She's worse."

"Wonderful." He said flatly and while like Angela, I was a little surprised Evelyn wasn't trying to make a good impression, I found I was glad that she wasn't.

I sort of loved that she was pushing his buttons. Despite having a much better relationship with people in general, she still wasn't afraid to go to bat for the people she cared about. Evelyn knew my father had a tendency to stress me out, and despite the fact that he was my dad, it looked as if her 'protective' instinct hadn't quite abandoned her.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" my father asked with a sigh, but he didn't look angry. He just looked tired and he was here. That had to count for something.

I wasn't sure what kind of impression Evelyn had made on my father, but he'd taken the time to at least go through the motion's of getting to know her. It seemed as if despite knowing she was a child of Hades, seeing her in show wardrobe had set his default idea of her as another model type girl he dealt with in the shows, and now that he knew she wasn't, he wasn't sure how to deal with her. I didn't really care that much. I didn't think he disliked her, but if he did, he'd just have to get over it because if I had anything to say about it, she was damn well staying around.

A few hours later, Evelyn and I were walking hand in hand along the beach. The party was still going but we'd managed to slip away during the confusion when a party bus of drunk college kids mixed our event with a shoreline nightclub down town.

"We should probably go back." She said looking back at the faint pinprick of light down the shore we'd strayed so far from.

"You don't sound so convinced." I said with a smile putting an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"I'm not." She admitted allowing me to kiss her before saying. "But we should get back before they start forming search parties and Micah and my mother are convinced I've been dragged under the waves."

"They can wait a bit longer." I said pulling her closer still.

I was about to kiss her again when a voice said.

"You shouldn't let your mother worry."

The tone was clipped, not so much irritated as it was a little uncomfortable and I realized it was familiar. We both looked over my shoulder to see her father standing a few feet away, clearly not thrilled about his daughter alone with her boyfriend, but surprisingly not saying anything about it either.

"Dad?" Evelyn asked in clear shock.

"Happy birthday my dear."

His eyes glanced away from her for just a moment, and his gaze landed on me. I knew from our first encounter, he hadn't been sure if he trusted me, and after our last meeting, I wasn't sure what his feelings towards me were. Still, I had to believe the fact that he hadn't said anything was a good sign.

"Thank you, but… but what are you doing here?" she asked her eyes a little wide. "I thought you were busy."

"I am, and I can't stay long." He said with a nod. "We had an incident at one of the doors to the Underworld but I had to give you your gift."

"Gift?" I asked a little confused. "I thought the party was the gift."

Angela might have organized the event, but she'd done so with a credit card Evelyn's father had provided with no spending limit. To be honest, I was surprised there wasn't fifty ice sculptures. Considering she'd had no budget, her spending had been remarkably tame.

"Don't insult me." He said looking a little petulant at this. "Do you think I of all people can't afford a little party?"

He made it sound like he'd rented a couple of lanes in a bowling alley, but he'd paid for a hell of a lot more than just the party. He'd foot the bill for the catering, all the permits for the event, as well as the plane tickets, all first class, and hotel rooms for everyone who'd come in from out of town.

"Dad." Evelyn said warning in her tone, and he sighed.

"My apologies." He said sounding tired. "Clearly centuries of resentment have left me a guarded."

"Are you sure it's ok for you to be here?" she asked giving an anxious glance to the waves which were growing rougher by the second.

As if to stress the point, a deep rumble emanated from the water, shaking the beach.

"Poseidon always was a bit melodramatic," he said sounding irritated but also somewhat resigned. As if he knew this was never going to change. "But he'll just have to live with my presence for now."

He looked back at his daughter.

"Eighteen." He sighed. "Hard to believe you're not still the little girl who sat on my knee in the throne room, insisting we teach Cerberus how to play dead."

"You never did teach him." She muttered stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest, but she looked embarrassed.

"He's the guardian to the Land of the Dead, not a house pet."

"Underworld beings don't have to be just one thing." She said her tone stubborn and she chanced giving him a challenging expression and he frowned, his eyes darting to her hand in mine.

"Perhaps not." He said his tone pensive. "But in the spirit of that."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a long, thin package wrapped in what looked like pure gold leaf foil.

She took it, apparently unfazed by the precious metal and I grinned a little, remembering what she'd said about her and her father's expensive taste. I had the feeling he was so rich, neither of them really understood exactly how extra a gift wrapped in literal gold was.

"What…" she started as she tore open the gift, looking a little confused.

In her hands was what looked like a platinum name plate with just "Evelyn" written on it.

"That is going on the door to your room." He said and she let out a slight laugh, grinning as she looked down at gift with new meaning. "As well as my promise that when you visit the palace that the attendants have been ordered to leave alone."

"Thanks dad." She said with a smile and I was taken a little off guard, but pleased, when he smiled back.

"Well, you're not a little kid anymore." He said and his expression turned a little rueful. "I'm going to have to accept you're going to make your own choices. Not that you haven't been trying to show me that for years." He added begrudgingly. "But, I guess it's time I finally listened."

He glanced at me again.

"There is a part two though."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Once again he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out what looked like a pendant. A raw emerald, set into a black gold which she examined with a frown, her brow furrowed as if she were trying to remember something.

Though the emerald was a decent size, I knew it couldn't have been worth much in its uncut state. Through the black gold looped a leather necklace, sturdy but clearly inexpensive material. I had a feeling though, by Evelyn's expression, the significance of the gift wasn't in its monetary value.

"What…?" she started reaching out for the pendant, then stopped, hesitating. "Is that...?"

The question died as she raised her palm and I saw the pendant was pulling lightly on its cord, as if she were magnetized and it was metal.

"You didn't think your mother was the _only_ reason behind your name sake," he asked raising an eyebrow at her with a slight smile. "Did you?"

He let go of the necklace, and it shot into her hand. She looked startled, as if she hadn't meant for it to happen.

"Maybe it's because of your mother," her father continued looking at the stone. "But you've always had an affinity to these gems. When you were just weeks old, I brought you to the palace and nearly every emerald in the Underworld shot out of the ground."

"They did?" she asked looking surprised. "I mean, I've always noticed gems when they were nearby but," she frowned. "I always thought it seemed stronger with emeralds because I always had one with me."

She touched the necklace her father had given her that was resting over her dress.

"Yes, well. This emerald was the very first one you came into contact with. You and your mother might have had your necklaces, but she didn't wear it around you for fear of a choking hazard. But I had been called away and Hecate had offered to watch you…"

"There was your first mistake." I muttered remembered Hecate's tendency to forget Evelyn was mortal, or maybe just what that meant.

"She noticed it rolling towards you and decided to let you play with it. You almost swallowed the damn thing but I guess something clicked or you locked onto some sort of signature in your formative years." He looked at the pendant with a trace of amusement. "Because all through your childhood you managed to find it no matter where it was in the palace. Even if you never realized it was what you were looking for."

"I remember." She said quietly, still frowning apparently confused. "But it feels different now. Stronger."

"I had Hecate boost the link. She might be a terrible baby sitter but she is truly an incredible enchantress. You should be able to find this gem no matter where in the world or under it you are, the connection should be strong enough to give you the ability to shadow travel to it. Even if you don't know exactly where you're going."

"So it's a tracker." She said with an amused laugh releasing the pendant so it hovered above her hand.

"I see it as more of a homing device." He said with a shrug. "You travel a lot. This is just something to help you keep track of something, or someone, you don't want to lose. Especially if you're worried they're in trouble."

Her smile faded and, almost of their own accord, her eyes darted to me.

"I-" she started, but was interrupted by a second, deep rumble from the sea, this one louder than the first. It was followed by a wave slapping aggressively against the sand.

Her father sighed.

"It appears it's time for me to go." He said quietly. "I know you're busy, but I hope you visit sometime soon. The palace seems so empty in the summer."

"Yeah. I will." She said with a nod and he gave her a look I couldn't read, but she seemed to understand.

"'Til next time then my gem." He said a portal opening in the shadows, and while his expression was too difficult for me to read, hers wasn't.

I nudged her to her father, and after a moment's hesitation, she crossed the distance between them and hugged him.

"Thanks for coming Dad." She said softly and he looked a little startled by the gesture, but after a few seconds, he returned the embrace.

"Of course." He said pulling her tighter to him for just a second before letting her go.

I waited for one of them to tell the other that they loved them, but neither did. But when he kissed the top of her head, and she glanced up at him, I had a feeling that they might not have to. For the first time, I felt I knew what was being said in their silent conversation.

"Happy birthday," he said before stepping into the portal, then vanishing.

She stared after him for just a moment, then walked back to me.

"I can't believe he came." She said softly looking first at the name plate, then at the pendant.

"Of course, he did. He loves you."

"I know that." She said frowning. "He just doesn't usually know how to show it."

"I thought girls liked getting jewelry." I pointed out with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"I have enough jewelry." She said flatly. "Besides," she held the pendant up. "I got the feeling this wasn't really meant for me."

"Yeah," I agreed with a slight laugh putting my arms around her waist. "It's a bold move really. Giving your daughter a tracker right in front of her boyfriend."

"You don't have to wear it." she said shaking her head and starting to pull away. "I mean, it was nice of him but I don't think he really thought it through…"

"Maybe he did." I said quietly not letting her out of my reach and her eyes darted towards mine as I gently took the pendant from her. "I love you Ev," I continued brushing her hair from her face as her eyes met mine. "And I can't think of a single time I wouldn't want you to be able to find me."

"Really?" she asked clearly a little surprised.

"Really." I said letting my fingers thread through hers and she smiled.

"I love you too."

My smile returning hers, I leaned down and kissed her. She'd just stepped closer and put her arms around my neck causing my heart to beat faster when a light fell on us, effectively running the moment.

"Ugh, there you guys are." Said an irritated voice and I looked up to see Angela, her phone's flashlight activated and she was scowling at us. "Would you two cut it out and come back to the party? Everyone's looking for you."

"And of course you of all people would find us." I said flatly, a little annoyed with my sister and she gave me a superior look.

"Learn to control your emotions brother dearest. Then I wouldn't be always be able to find you within a five mile radius."

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered grouchily and Evelyn smiled.

Her hand found mine again and I glanced at her, feeling my irritation fade as together, we started to walk back to the party. I didn't care what Angela said. I didn't think I'd ever be able to control how I felt about Evelyn. And I didn't think I'd ever see the day that I would want to.

Epov

"How is it that you can literally kick a gorgon through a door, but you can't walk six blocks in heels?" Cass asked as he carried me, piggy bag style, back to his apartment.

"Because I'm wearing my boots when I do it." I reminded him resting my chin on his shoulder and trying to ignore the throbbing in my ankle. I'd twisted it walking back from his friend's birthday at a club downtown.

I still wasn't in love with places that had large crowds and crappy lighting, but I had to admit, tonight hadn't been terrible. It had actually been kind of fun. I liked his college friends. And strangely, they seemed to like me.

Cass had warned me not to wear the heels, they were a pair Angela had sent me and were nice but ridiculously tall, for me anyways, but the club was on the nicer end of the spectrum and I was tired of always feeling underdressed. It was a little surprising to me, but I sort of liked looking nice every once and a while. I wasn't on Cass's level, well, I didn't think _anyone_ was on Cass's level except maybe Angela, but I had to admit, on certain occasions dressing up wasn't so bad.

At first it was mostly because we didn't get stared at as much, people obviously wondering why someone that looked like Cass was holding hands with the girl in t-shirts, but after a while, I'd realized it was starting to make me feel a little different. I'd spent so long wishing I could just disappear in the shadows when people looked at me, but lately when I was out with Cass, that feeling had started to wane. It had taken a while, but I didn't hate being out in the city anymore. I actually kind of liked meeting new people. And the reaction we got from others was less 'theorizing in whispers behind my back about why Cass was with me', and more, 'such a cute couple'.

This was, frankly, astounding to me. I'd never thought anyone would say that about me with anyone one ever, let alone an insanely handsome son of Aphrodite, but life had been weird lately. A lot of things had changed.

"Well next time we have to walk somewhere, you might want to bring them." He said and though I knew he was dying to, I appreciated the fact that so far, he'd managed to refrain from saying 'I told you so.' He was a lot better about being right in a relationship than I was. I couldn't wait three seconds after being vindicated about something before I was saying it. I knew I was lucky. Actually, when it came to Cass, I was lucky about a lot of things.

He carried me all the way to the apartment and sat me on the stool before walking to the freezer and grabbing a bag of ice from inside.

"You know, we might be the only people I know who has these premade." He said dropping the bag on the counter so the cubes would separate, before sitting on the stool next to mine, and resting my foot on his knee.

"Yeah well, how many other people run into monsters every few days?" I asked wincing at the temperature as I leaned my ankle against the ice.

"You alright?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, it's just cold."

"How you let me carry you home after an injury from high heels, yet when I wanted you to go to the ER after we ran into that Gryphon in Central Park, you told me not to worry about it."

"Because you shouldn't have." I pointed out. "The bleeding stopped. And I can walk with a cut."

"The cut was huge, and it only stopped after almost an hour."

"That's because you wouldn't let me stitch up the wound."

"You are not a doctor."

"It's not like I haven't done it before."

I'd seen the Apollo kids give me enough stitches to figure out how, but this seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

"We're not having this argument again." he said shaking his head and getting to his feet, taking care to set my ankle gently on the stool before continuing with. "I'm going to get you some aspirin."

He looked a little frustrated and started to walk towards the bathroom. He made it a few steps be for he stopped, let out a sigh, then walked back. He leaned down and kissed my temple, and as it always did, my heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "I love you."

He smiled a little as his eyes met mine, then kissed me again, before he walked towards the bathroom no doubt to raid the medicine cabinet.

He always did this when if he ever got upset with me. It didn't happen a lot, but when it did, it was usually over something like this. While it had been almost a year since we'd been dating, I still wasn't entirely used to Cass's tendency to be, in my opinion, overly concerned about my safety.

I hadn't understood it at first. He'd started doing it after our first, and worst fight. He'd stormed off and not knowing what else to do, I'd gone to visit Nick to blow off steam. Finally, after the third or fourth time he'd done this, I asked him why and his answer had surprised me. He'd told me that after our fight he'd come back to talk to me and realized I was gone. He'd said it had made him even more upset, but not at me. He'd said he knew what it was like thinking he'd never get to see me again, and if something had happened to one of us which, after he'd technically died he realized was a very real possibility, he didn't want his last words to me to be said in anger.

He came back thirty seconds later with a small bottle and a paper cup of water, looking far less upset, and carrying two books under his arm.

"Which one?" he asked taking a book in each hand as I took the medication and holding them up for me to see. My options were _Frankenstein_ and _The Count of Monte Cristo_.

Being the nerd that he was, one of the first things Cass had done when he'd moved to the city was get a library card. The librarians, who surprise surprise, all loved him, had talked him into joining their Summer reading challenge. I wasn't exactly sure how I'd gotten involved, but at least once a week we ended up together on the couch reading his challenge books. He always let me pick, and we read them a few chapters at a time switching back and forth each night so we could talk about the parts that we'd read.

"Give me _Frankenstein_ ," I said with and he handed me the novel.

I made fun of Cass for dragging me into his challenge, but I had to admit, book night was usually one of my favorites each week. He'd even turned me onto podcasts and audiobooks for when I needed to do stuff like inventory at the 'Tipsy Satyr'. One thing I found I really liked about Cass, was that he was always trying to learn something. Even when he didn't have to. If he wasn't so very obviously a child of Aphrodite, part of me wondered if I might have thought he really belonged in the Athena cabin.

I tried to stand to walk to the couch but before my feet could reach the floor, Cass darted forward.

"Oh no." he said grabbing me and I let out a cry of surprise as he picked me up. "You are not putting weight on that."

"The couch is like ten feet away." I said with a laugh as he started to move.

"I know, and you're not that heavy." He said with a smirk. "I won't even break a sweat."

He sat us down on the couch keeping me in his lap and throwing a blanket over me and opening his book, his expression distracted as he searched for his place.

I grinned. It was cute.

"You know," I teased. "If I'm not careful, you're going to turn me into a nerd like you."

"You love this nerd." He said with a chuckle and I found myself smirking.

"True, I was thinking about getting you a pair of reading glasses. You know the fake ones? I think you'd look good in them, and I'm sure your lady friends at the library would enjoy it."

"I look good in everything." He said rolling his eyes as if this were obvious, which it kind of was, and ignoring my jibe about his fan girls at the library. "Besides, you can hardly complain. You liked books before me. Don't you remember how we met?"

I was about to ask him what in the Underworld he was talking about when I realized.

"Gods, I forgot about that." I said in amazement.

I'd been reading, pissed off in the middle of a death aura spiral, and trying to ignore the rest of the camp when he'd first introduced himself. He'd just walked right up to me and I thought he was insane.

"I didn't." he said smugly. "And this is why I win in the relationship. That and I remembered Valentine's Day."

"I ran into werewolves in Peru." I grumbled. "I was a little busy. Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"What do you think?" he said with a sly smile and I let out an exaggerated huff before opening my book.

We'd been reading for about an hour and I had gotten a little lost in the text when he spoke.

"What are you up to tomorrow?" He asked.

"Hank's got a few shipments coming to the bar in the morning I need to sign for, after that I've got to go apartment hunting."

"Apartment hunting?" he asked sounding a little confused.

"Yeah, I'm sick of bouncing between here and Georgia." I explained. I'd been shadow traveling between New York and my mother's house since Hank had asked me to watch the bar, on the nights I hadn't stayed with Cass. "As amazingly bad ass your girlfriend is, jumping that far that often is a little much after a while."

"Why don't you just stay here?" he asked and I laughed.

"Good one."

"I'm serious." He said and my smile faded when I caught his expression and I realized that he _was_ serious. "You're here all the time anyways." he said with a shrug and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Not all the time." I protested, unsure why I felt slightly defensive.

"You have more clothes in the dresser than I do."

"That's because you're paranoid about creases and hang all your clothes in the closet."

"Maybe, but you've completely taken over the bathroom."

I started to retort but he raised an eyebrow and I hesitated.

"Ok, that might be true." I admitted quietly, feeling a little shocked. I hadn't even noticed.

I still wasn't exactly a beauty queen, but Angela, who was _still_ sending me clothes, and Maya had managed to find at least one feminine instinct in me over the last year and made me realize that things like bath bombs and sugar scrubs were actually pretty relaxing. Even if I could never admit it to anyone but Cass. I had a reputation to uphold after all.

"Is that the relationship test?" I asked. "You move in together when she takes over the bathroom?"

"No. I think it happens when you come back from class and realize the reason she didn't pick up when you called was because she was already in the apartment taking a nap."

"That was _once_." I insisted. "And I was jet lagged. I'd just come back from a week in Cairo." Hank had gotten himself into trouble with some unhappy spirits and needed someone to bail him out. "All I wanted to do was go home and sleep."

"Ok, maybe that was once." He conceded. "But most of your books are here and you've turned the office into an armory. Which by the way," he grinned. "Was hard to explain to the building manager when he needed to fix the window in there. He may think you're a serial killer by the way."

I laughed.

"And it doesn't bother you that you'd be living with a serial killer?" I asked sarcastically and he pulled me closer.

"Nope."

"Fine. I guess I'm moving in with you then Cass." I said trusting the term would trigger the male instinct to run from commitment. "I'll start packing and bring my stuff over tomorrow."

"Alright." He said surprising me with a shrug.

"Wait, no, I'm not serious." I said sitting up straighter feeling the book fall off of me and on to the floor.

He wasn't supposed to agree with that.

"I am." He said looking down at me.

"You really want me to move in?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"How many more times am I going to have to say so before you realize it?"

"Why?" I asked, stunned.

"Well, if I have to give you a list of reasons." He said frowning. "You already spend most of your time here, and I don't see the point in you getting and paying for an apartment just to be here." His eyes met mine. "But can't I just say I'm happier when you're here and miss you when you're not, and it be enough?"

"I-" I started a little confused.

"When you said home earlier, you meant here Ev." He said cutting me off. "Not your Mom's house. And if it's an independence thing, it's not exactly like you'd be stuck here."

That was sort of true. I could pretty much go anywhere I wanted, and if I needed a place to crash, my mother's house, Nick's apartment, Micah's and Maya's parents' house, and I guess Hank's couch where ever he ended up were always available. Despite the fact that I had a tendency to take off, sometimes out of nowhere because something in the mythological world had gone down, or I was just bored, Cass never complained. Sometimes he came with me, but with classes and school work, it wasn't that often. Half the time if he had to ask where I was, I was on a different continent, and all he would do was tell me to be safe and ask when I thought I'd be back.

"Look." He said quietly. "I know you're used to jumping around the world, and don't like being stuck in one place for too long. And I'm not trying to take that from you. If anything, I just want give you somewhere to go back to." He sighed and glanced away. "I guess a part of me hopes that when do leave and you feel like you want to come home, home means here. With me."

I looked at him a little surprised.

Ever since I'd learned to control my abilities, I'd never really had a sense of 'going home'. Yeah I went to camp every summer, and I checked in with my mom a lot, but I was so busy, and my family and friends so used to me disappearing for extended periods of time, I'd sort of forgotten what that word meant. The palace in the Underworld had never felt like home, and if anything, camp felt more like a base, a place to rest and recover between missions where I occasionally ran into my friends. Of course, I always had a place at my mother's house, but with Nick gone so much recently and my mother's pretty much open door policy with me since I was fifteen, visits there felt just like that. Visits.

Maybe that's why I'd been spending more and more nights here lately with Cass. Deep down, this is where I wanted to be, where I kept finding myself drawn back to. And maybe subconsciously, I'd known that.

"It already does." I said quietly, a little astonished I was admitting it.

"It does?" he asked looking down at me.

I nodded.

"So, we're doing this then?" He asked and I realized he sounded hopeful.

My immediate reaction was to say no, but I couldn't think for a reason as to why. Maybe because that was what I thought I should say? But I was quickly realizing that wasn't what I wanted to say. I wanted to say yes, because he was right. I might like going where ever I want whenever I wanted, but in the end, when I wanted to come home I wanted to be here with him, and I was finding more and more lately, that sometimes, I didn't want to leave. The only reason to say no was because I thought that was what I should have said, but this past year with Cass had shown me that all the time I'd wasted on doing what I thought I was supposed to had been a mistake. And sometimes, going after what you wanted, went even better than you thought it would.

He looked apprehensive and I realized he'd been waiting for me to answer. I felt guilty because I realized he was worried. Clearly he was unsure of what I was thinking, and another pang of guilt went through me as I realized that it was my fault that he was. He never missed an opportunity to show he cared about me, with him I always knew just how much I was loved. I probably should have done a better job of telling him he was too.

"Yeah." I said softly, ignoring the warnings my brain was screaming at me about complacency, being stagnant, all the monsters and gods that could find you if you remained in the same place for too long. But I wasn't stuck here, I thought feeling a smile cross my face as I saw his. It was rooted, stable, something I realized with some surprise, I'd never really thought I'd have. Not until him.

"But I want my _own_ library card," I said stubbornly putting my arms around his neck and he laughed. "If I'm going to have a permanent address I'm going to cash that in. And I want a pet. And not some crappy fish tank ok?" I said seriously as slid an arm around me and pulled me closer. "I want like, a puppy, or a kitten or something… maybe both.

"You want two pets?" he asked raising and eyebrow.

"Yes." I said with a smile.

"Alright." He conceded then gave me a skeptical look. "But only one head per pet. Because if you try to sneak Cerberus in here and your father blames me…"

"You remind him how happy you make his daughter and tell him to move on his way."

"Yes, I'm sure that will go down well. Ordering the King of the Underworld out of my apartment. He might actually give Cerberus his attack command."

"Don't worry." I said waiving this away. "I'll protect you."

"My hero." He said with a dramatic sigh and I smirked.

We lapsed into silence in which we both seemed to realize what we'd just agreed on. An automatic part of my brain kept debating if I should start to get going home but, I guess, as of now I _was_ home.

'That's crazy.' I thought.

I'd never really pictured myself settling anywhere. If someone had told me last summer that I was considering staying in one place longer than the few weeks I stayed each summer at camp, I would have thought they were insane but as I looked up at Cass who'd gone back to his book, I realized I didn't care. Maybe it was crazy, but my life had never exactly been normal anyways. I'd been running around the Underworld since I was a little kid, fighting monsters since before I was ten, and had left school when I was fifteen to dart around the globe pretty much as I saw fit. At seventeen I'd thrown caution to the wind and turned my life upside down just to help someone who was barely my friend, and now less than a year later, I couldn't see life without him. Considering that before then, I'd assumed I'd just always be on my own in some ways, this was mind blowing to me, but I guess I never really followed the typical path in life. And when it came to the people I loved, I didn't do things half way.

"Love you too, Ev." Cass said quietly, still reading and I smiled.

I hadn't said it out loud, but with his abilities, I didn't have to. And though he did say it, and it was nice to hear I didn't need Cass to tell me he loved me. I knew.

Still smiling, I returned to my book, leaning my head against his chest as I continued to read, still marveling at the idea that would have seemed completely alien to me not even a year ago. That it didn't matter where I was, how many monsters I killed or what the Gods and their asked of me, because when all of it was over, I had a place to go back to. No matter where I went, or where he was, whenever I was with this smart, sarcastic, and completely ridiculous Son of Aphrodite, I was home. And though a part of me still couldn't quite believe it, I knew I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, like I said, this is the final chapter of Not Myself. I hope everyone who made it this far enjoyed it. I am soooooo tired, this last week has been a real push to get this done. I'm not sure when/if I will post another story, but I feel like I say that every time then after a few days I end up working on something else. Again, thanks for all the positive support and sticking with it. I know this story took a while to conclude compared to some of my others, there was just a lot with this one. I might tack on one additional chapter to this story, sort of like I did with Blind, just a short flash back to how the two characters met, but it's barely assembled and needs a lot of work. If there's any interest either leave a request in a review or message me and I'll divert more energy into working on it. As for right now, I need a break. I hope everyone has a great week and that you liked the story!

Best wishes to all!

~secrethalfblood


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